Opinion ID: 1258634
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Probate Matter

Text: Respondent represented Mrs. Doe, who was the personal representative of her late husband's intestate estate. That estate included $45,000 in proceeds from the sale of a condominium that Mr. and Mrs. Doe owned jointly. Respondent received the proceeds in November 2000, but failed to distribute them to Mrs. Doe. Respondent failed to respond to Mrs. Doe's inquiries for a year. Mrs. Doe then sent Respondent a certified letter releasing him as her attorney and demanding that he release the funds and provide her with an accounting. Mrs. Doe filed a petition for an order requiring Respondent to deposit the money with the probate court and to pay her fees and costs. Her new attorney also requested an emergency hearing, and the court issued a rule to show cause on March 1, 2002. On March 6, 2002, Mrs. Doe received a cashier's check in the amount of $45,000 from Respondent, and she withdrew her request for an emergency hearing. During the time Respondent was supposed to be safekeeping Mrs. Doe's money, the balance in his trust account fell below $45,000 on twenty-one occasions. Mrs. Doe's attorney appeared at the hearing and testified regarding the status of and costs associated with the probate matter. She stated that, although Mrs. Doe ultimately received the funds entrusted to Respondent, Mrs. Doe has not been compensated for her costs and fees, which total approximately $5,000. The subpanel found that Respondent violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct found in Rule 407, SCACR: Rule 1.3 (Diligence); Rule 1.4 (Communication); Rule 1.15 (Safekeeping of Property); Rule 1.16 (Declining or Terminating Representation); and Rule 8.4(d) (Misconduct-Conduct Involving Dishonesty, Fraud, Deceit, or Misrepresentation). The subpanel found that Respondent violated these rules in that he did not respond to or comply with the demands in Mrs. Doe's letter, and that he did not respond to repeated inquiries from Mrs. Doe's new attorney. The subpanel further found that Respondent failed to fully cooperate with the disciplinary investigation, in violation of Rule 8.1 of the Rules of Professional Conduct, in that Respondent failed to respond to the Notice of Full Investigation in this matter. Respondent did appear for a Rule 19(c)(4), RLDE, Rule 413, SCACR, interview, and responded to the allegations under oath. However, the subpanel found that Respondent failed to comply with a subpoena for the production of the Doe client file and financial records related to the above transaction. The subpanel found that Respondent is subject to discipline for his conduct in the Probate Matter pursuant to Rules 7(a)(1), 7(a)(3), 7(a)(5), and 7(a)(6) of RLDE, Rule 413, SCACR.