Opinion ID: 1415974
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: hedden matter

Text: Julie Hedden (Hedden) was involved in an extensive domestic dispute that ended in divorce. The divorce decree directed Hedden's former spouse to transfer certain property to Hedden. Prior to deeding the property to Hedden, the former spouse died intestate in 1993, leaving their two children as his only heirs. In 1994, Hedden hired respondent to quiet title to the property in compliance with the divorce decree, and in that proceeding, respondent failed to name the two children as parties. The 1994 proceeding produced two separate orders transferring the property to Hedden. A deed was executed, and the property was conveyed to her in 1995. Later, in 2000, Hedden attempted to sell the property, and the attorney for the prospective purchasers noticed that the two children might have an interest in the property since they were the former spouse's intestate heirs and were not named in the 1994 proceeding to quiet title. Respondent then petitioned for the approval of the sale of the property before a master-in-equity, naming Hedden's two children as parties. The master approved the sale, dispersed half of the proceeds to Hedden, and poured the other half into an escrow account on behalf of the children until it was determined whether the children had a right to the proceeds. [1] Respondent failed to take any further action to secure the release of the proceeds held in escrow and failed to respond to attempts by Hedden and Hedden's father to contact him to concerning the release of the funds. As a result, Hedden was forced to hire another attorney to secure the release of the proceeds.