Opinion ID: 2283496
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: harmon complaint

Text: In August 1976 Kathleen Harmon paid a retainer of $300 to the respondent which he accepted for the purpose of instituting a divorce action on her behalf. Thereafter Mrs. Harmon incurred considerable difficulty in communicating with the respondent, who failed to advise her with respect to the status of her case and failed to respond to her numerous telephone calls and correspondence. In April 1977 the respondent finally communicated with Mrs. Harmon by letter signed by him. Therein he enclosed a copy of a Complaint for Divorce and represented to the complainant that the Complaint had been filed and that a hearing date would be assigned in the near future. Later, in August 1977, the respondent submitted a bill to Mrs. Harmon requesting payment of fees and representing that certain costs had been incurred for the filing of a Complaint and service of Summons and Complaint. In fact, no Complaint had been filed by the respondent, no filing fees or Sheriff's fees had been incurred and there was no action pending for divorce. At a formal hearing before the Committee on May 15, 1979, respondent admitted that he failed to file and serve the Complaint and that he did not incur the associated expenses for which he billed his client. Respondent claimed that he failed to act because he had not had his fee and costs paid in full. Respondent returned the $300 retainer after Mrs. Harmon filed her informal ethics complaint.