Court Opinion

ID: 9754650
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:08:48.422992+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:56.198759
License: Public Domain

ELDRIDGE, Judge,
dissenting:
The majority concludes, and I agree with the conclusion, that Sinclair violated DR 6-101(A)(3) by advising his client to ignore the court order to pay support, by failing to notify the Bureau of Support Enforcement of this advice and of the status of his client’s child, and by failing to provide sufficient notification of his client’s position to the probation officer. In my view, however, the majority is incorrect in holding that a reprimand is the appropriate sanction. Rather, I believe that Sinclair should be subjected to the same sanction as this Court imposes today in the case of Attorney Griev. Comm’n v. Maraño, 299 Md. 633, 474 A.2d 1332, namely suspension from the practice of law in Maryland for a thirty-day period.
I see no difference between the seriousness of the misconduct found in Sinclair and that found in Maraño so as to warrant a reprimand in the former case and a thirty-day *651suspension in the latter one. Both Sinclair and Maraño had previously been issued private reprimands for the negligent representation of a client. Moreover, in the cases decided today, both of the attorneys failed to care diligently for their clients’ affairs while repeatedly assuring their clients that matters either were already resolved or shortly would be resolved. Furthermore, unlike Maraño, Sinclair has offered no excuses for his negligent representation.
Sinclair’s client, Maurer, obtained professional services for two purposes: to gain custody of his child from his ex-wife and to terminate his support obligations. To date, custody of the child remains with the mother. In addition, while Maurer has been released from his duty to pay support, this only was achieved after a warrant was issued for Maurer’s arrest. Thus, despite the trial judge’s conclusion to the contrary, Maurer suffered injury as a result of his attorney’s negligent conduct.
The following facts are particularly relevant. Sinclair failed within the required time period to serve Maurer’s ex-wife with a Rule to Show Cause because, according to Sinclair, her whereabouts were unknown. Nevertheless, four days after the final deadline for service, Maurer’s ex-wife appeared in Sinclair’s office to sign an amended separation agreement giving custody to Maurer. However, because Sinclair failed to secure court approval of the agreement, legal custody remained with the mother. Sinclair further jeopardized his client’s attempt to gain custody by failing to take an exception to the recommendation of the Domestic Relations Master denying the petition for immediate custody. Sinclair also was negligent in advising his client that he was no longer under a legal obligation to make support payments. Not only did Sinclair fail to secure a court order so stating, but he continued to advise his client to ignore notices from the Bureau of Support Enforcement informing him that his payments were in arrears. Furthermore, when Sinclair was questioned by Maurer’s probation officer, Sinclair assured the officer that the obligation had been terminated and that he would *652provide her with a letter explaining the situation. He never sent the letter. Finally, even after the police came to Maurer’s home to execute a warrant for his arrest, Sinclair persisted in advising his client that he was not under a legal obligation to pay support, when in fact he still was.
When a client is unable to gain custody of his child and is almost hauled off to jail as a result of his attorney’s negligent representation, the attorney’s misconduct is as serious as that of an attorney whose negligence causes his client to lose the benefit of insurance proceeds. Thus, I can not agree with the majority’s conclusion that Sinclair should receive a reprimand while Maraño receives a suspension from the practice of law. I find no principled basis for the different sanctions imposed by the majority in the two cases. In my view, the appropriate sanction for Sinclair, as for Maraño, is suspension from the practice of law for a period of at least thirty days.