Opinion ID: 1742730
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Benson-Blaine Matter

Text: In September of 1999, Susan Benson-Blaine paid D'Angelo a $300 retainer to seek sole custody of her child and to seek termination of the father's visitation and parental rights. The petition was served in February 2000, but D'Angelo stopped returning Benson-Blaine's phone calls. Benson-Blaine eventually sought the advice of another attorney. This attorney wrote D'Angelo a letter, but he never responded. D'Angelo remained Benson-Blaine's counsel of record and did not formally withdraw from her case even after his license had been formally suspended. On January 17, 2002, Benson-Blaine's case was dismissed for failure to prosecute. Benson-Blaine contacted the Client Security Commission and then received a $300 refund from D'Angelo's office. D'Angelo did not respond to the Board's complaints for two years.