Opinion ID: 1205832
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the burton estate

Text: The first three causes of complaint arose out of the handling of a probate estate by the accused. The personal representative of the estate hired the accused to represent her for the probating of the estate. The probate proceedings were initiated by the accused on February 22, 1981. The trial panel found that the accused neglected a legal duty in failing to file timely the inventory (even after two notices and a show cause order from the court), failing to file timely a document with the court, failing to deposit incoming funds of the estate for over six months (with a resulting loss of money to the estate), and failing to file timely the fiduciary income tax returns (resulting in assessed penalties and interest to the estate), [8] thereby violating DR 6-101(A)(3). The trial panel found the accused not guilty of a violation of DR 7-101(A)(2) [9] under the foregoing conduct. The trial panel found that, over an 18-month period, the accused lied to the beneficiaries (or their respective lawyers) about the status of fiduciary income tax returns, releases, and whether taxes were due. The accused, by trial stipulations, admitted that some of the statements were false and that he knew they were false when he made them. The trial panel concluded that the accused violated DR 1-102(A)(4). [10] By trial stipulation, the accused admitted that he failed to respond fully and truthfully to inquiries from representatives of the Bar. The trial panel concluded that the accused violated DR 1-103(C), as quoted above.