Opinion ID: 1124445
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Casias Matter

Text: Veronica Casias contacted the respondent in early 1994 regarding her nephew who was in Nevada social service custody as an unsupervised juvenile. Ms. Casias and her father had a previous relationship with the respondent whereby the respondent worked for them at highly reduced fees, billing only modest amounts intended to cover his overhead expenses. The respondent spoke with the appropriate Nevada officials regarding the procedure for Casias to take custody of the minor and return with him to Colorado. The nephew was subsequently transferred to Colorado and placed in Casias's home on July 14, 1994. Casias went to the respondent's office on July 20, 1994, for assistance in filling out forms she had acquired to establish guardianship over her nephew so she could obtain health insurance coverage for him through her employer. The respondent suggested that it would be better for him to generate the petition in his office. Casias agreed and she hired the respondent to prepare the guardianship petition. She paid him $200, which the respondent estimated would cover his earlier work on the case and the preparation of the necessary documents. The respondent then failed to file a guardianship petition, did not respond to her numerous telephone calls about the case, and has not refunded her money. His conduct thereby violated Colo. RPC 1.3 (neglecting a legal matter); Colo. RPC 1.4(a) (failing to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter); Colo. RPC 1.5(a) (charging an unreasonable fee); and Colo. RPC 1.15(b) (failing to promptly deliver to a client the funds the client is entitled to receive).