Opinion ID: 1152575
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Succession Matter

Text: In connection with the succession matter the bar association notified respondent as follows: You were retained by Mrs. Willie Mae Ford Johnson to represent the succession of Harrison Webb. Mrs. Johnson gave you all necessary papers, including a will, and, despite repeated requests, you have taken no action to further said succession. Despite your dismissal as attorney by Mrs. Johnson, and her repeated requests, you have failed, refused and neglected said succession and have refused to communicate with Mrs. Johnson as her new attorney and have refused to return necessary documents, including the will; all in violation of Disciplinary Rule 1-102, 2-110(A)(2) and 6-101(A)(3) of the Canons of Professional Responsibility for the Louisiana State Bar Association. On March 16, 1979 Harrison Webb executed his last will and testament in olographic form. He wrote the will in his hospital room by following a pattern drafted by McGovern. Mrs. Willie Mae Ford Johnson, who had been living with Webb, asked McGovern to draft the pattern will and delivered it to Webb's sickbed. In the will, Webb, in accordance with the pattern, bequeathed the disposable portion of his estate to Mrs. Johnson and designated McGovern as the attorney for his succession. After Webb executed his olographic will, Mrs. Johnson gave it to McGovern for safekeeping. Mrs. Johnson paid McGovern $25 for drafting the pattern will. Harrison Webb died two weeks after executing his olographic will. Two or three weeks after his death an attorney for five of his children opened his succession and petitioned for the appointment of an administratrix. On May 15 and June 5, 1979 an attorney for one of Webb's daughters wrote McGovern asking for a copy of the will and any pleadings he may have filed. On June 6, 1979 McGovern mailed copies of the olographic will and Webb's divorce judgments to all of the heirs and to Mrs. Johnson with his offer to cooperate. After this, McGovern admittedly permitted the matter to lie dormant. McGovern testified to multiple reasons for not preparing and filing a petition to probate the will: Webb's children resented Mrs. Johnson's legacy and refused to serve as witnesses to the authenticity of their father's handwriting in the will. Several of the heirs intended to attack the will for lack of testamentary capacity. An illegitimate child planned to assert a claim. Passage of time might work toward amicable settlement. Meanwhile, Mrs. Johnson, whom he considered to be his primary client, continued to have the possession and enjoyment of Webb's house and truck. Mrs. Johnson apparently was not satisfied, however, for on March 2, 1983 she informed McGovern by mail that she had hired another lawyer and requested that he turn over all important papers regarding the succession. When McGovern did not respond, the new attorney wrote to McGovern and complained to the bar association on May 13, 1983. That attorney testified that McGovern called him and expressed willingness to turn over the file but pleaded lack of time to comply immediately. McGovern testified that he did not turn over the papers because, as the attorney named in the will, he was entitled to a fee and to custody of the succession property. Ultimately, because of these and other complaints, and McGovern's continued lack of response, a formal investigatory hearing was held by the Committee on Professional Responsibility on November 18, 1983. McGovern telephoned the bar association office on the morning of the hearing and stated that he was too ill to attend. Maurice Indest, an attorney with whom McGovern shared office space testified that respondent had been incapacitated with diabetes and unable to visit his office more than once or twice a month for two years. Shortly after the November 18, 1983 investigatory hearing, McGovern associated Indest for the purpose of completing the Webb succession matter. Indest turned over to the administratrix all papers belonging to the succession. On January 31, 1984 Indest filed a petition to probate the olographic will. He succeeded in having the will probated on February 7, 1984. Mrs. Johnson and her sister acted as handwriting witnesses by agreement between Indest and Mrs. Johnson's attorney. At the commissioner's hearing on May 8, 1985 Indest testified that a hearing had been held on one heir's petition to annul the will and that the court had taken the matter under advisement indicating an inclination to uphold the will but urging compromise negotiations. We are persuaded by clear and convincing evidence that McGovern neglected his assignment as attorney for the succession by his failure to proceed with the probate of the will and his refusal to turn over succession property to the succession representative. As the attorney designated to represent the deceased's estate, McGovern had a duty to enforce the valid provisions of the will as the intention of the testator. Accordingly, he should have presented the will to the court and petitioned for probate and execution. La.C. C.P. arts. 2851-2852. Even if he had doubts concerning the validity of the testament, he was obliged to present it to the court with his petition praying that the document be filed in the record of the succession proceeding. La.C.C.P. art. 2853. Even though McGovern had been designated as the attorney for the estate, he was not at liberty to withhold succession property and documents from the succession representative. A succession representative is deemed by law to have possession of all property of the succession, La.C.C.P. art. 3211, and has the duty of collecting, preserving, and managing the property of the succession in accordance with law. La. C.C.P. 3191, 3221. Among his many other duties, the succession representative is obliged to close the succession as soon as advisable. La.C.C.P. art. 3197. As the attorney designated to represent the succession, it was McGovern's duty to assist in carrying out the legitimate objectives of the testator and the succession representative, not to thwart or delay them. For almost four years McGovern delayed the probate of the will and collection of succession property by the administratrix. The mere existence of adverse claims did not justify a delay of this length. Although the record fails to detail any damage sustained by the succession, it is clear that substantial delay and inconvenience were caused by McGovern's neglect.