Opinion ID: 1833321
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Dale Kuperis and Robin Weilege Matter

Text: In 1990, Dale Kuperis retained respondent to obtain an uncontested marital dissolution from his wife, Robin (n/k/a Robin Weilege). Robin Weilege provided the $500 retainer Dale Kuperis paid to respondent on October 23, 1990. Almost four years later, on August 25, 1994, Kuperis paid another $135 to respondent to cover the filing fee. During those four years, respondent prepared a summons and petition and proposed marital termination agreement which he provided to Kuperis and Weilege in January 1991. Kuperis signed the agreement on March 4, 1991, and took several months to return it to respondent. Respondent revised the summons and petition on July 29, 1991, then did nothing further, despite numerous efforts by Kuperis and Weilege to get respondent to take the steps necessary to finalize the dissolution, including payment to respondent of the filing fee. In the meantime, Kuperis and Weilege had amicably separated and had each established new relationships. Kuperis and Weilege finally completed the marriage dissolution acting pro se in 1995. In similar fashion to the Benoit matter, supra, just prior to the April 4, 1997 referee hearing, respondent claimed to have returned to Kuperis $285 from respondent's trust account, but the only proof respondent offered to the referee regarding the return of those client funds, acquired in 1990 and 1994, was a certified mail receipt.