Opinion ID: 6315833
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: 18 D.B. 80, Charge I.

Text: On November 14, 1978, [C] retained respondent to institute a divorce action on his behalf (Rep. at 9). Respondent said that his total fee would be $550 and [C] thereupon paid $300 to respondent as a retainer (Rep. at 9). On November 20, 1978, respondent filed a divorce complaint but the sheriff was unable to effect service (Rep. at 9). During the last week in December, 1978, [C] notified respondent that his wife had still not been served and that the sheriff said that it would be necessary to reinstate the complaint. Respondent said that he would do so promptly (Rep. at 9). On March 8,1979, over two months later, respondent filed a praecipe to reinstate the complaint (Rep. at 10). Respondent then failed to deliver a copy of the reinstated complaint to the sheriff’s office and thus service was still not accomplished (Rep. at 10). On March 12,1979, [C] retained other counsel. At about the same time, he instructed respondent to discontinue the original divorce action (Rep. at 10). From March to June of 1979, [C] repeatedly requested that respondent discontinue the original divorce action (Rep. at 10, 11). Respondent was also requested to return the unused portion of the $300 retainer. On June 13, 1979, three months after his client’s instruction to do so, respondent attempted to discontinue the original divorce action but, by using the incorrect term and number on the caption, discontinued a second divorce action commenced by [C]’s new counsel. This error was discovered and corrected two months later. (Rep. at 11). On June 27, 1979, [C] wrote to respondent and formally discharged him as counsel and requested a refund of the unused portion of the $300 retainer and an accounting of the legal services provided (Rep. at 11). Respondent replied three months later on September 26, 1979 that no refund was due because the $300 was expended on the case (PE 5, Exhibit “A”).