Opinion ID: 2640579
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: count iiithe neal grievance

Text: ¶ 10 About September 24, 2003, Respondent received a $700.00 retainer to handle an adoption matter for Mr. Neal. Respondent expected the costs and fees to be between $1,000.00 and $1,200.00. The $700.00 retainer was for the initial filing fee and service and the upstart time of putting the package together. Respondent told Mr. Neal that he would need to return to the office to sign some paper work. ¶ 11 The $700.00 was deposited into Respondent's operating account. By the end of October, 2003, the balance in Respondent's operating was only $566.47. Respondent's operating account had a negative balance at least once a month starting at the end of November of 2003 through at least March of 2004. ¶ 12 In November, Respondent telephoned and told Mr. Neal that he would call back later and schedule a time for Mr. Neal to sign some paper work. Thereafter, Mr. Neal telephoned Respondent's office several times and left messages asking that Respondent contact him. However, Respondent did not contact Mr. Neal again. Respondent did not do any work on the adoption matter. ¶ 13 In January, 2004, Mr. Neal filed a grievance against Respondent with the OBA. By a letter dated February 11, 2004, the OBA notified Respondent of Mr. Neal's grievance and informed Respondent that he had twenty days within which to reply. Because he did not reply, the OBA sent a certified letter. On March 19, 2004, Respondent signed for the OBA's certified letter dated March 18, 2004, notifying him of the grievance and requiring him to respond within five days or be subpoenaed to testify. ¶ 14 In his response letter dated March 14, 2004, and received on March 19, 2004, Respondent stated that the Neal file had been erroneously placed on inactive status. He also stated he had no doubt that Mr. Neal had made several attempts to communicate with him and he regretted that Mr. Neal's efforts were unsuccessful and had not been met with the appropriate response by his office. He continued no costs or services were ever billed against the retainer. Respondent voluntarily refunded the $700.00 before the hearing before the PRT.