Reprimand With A Refund

The New Jersey Disciplinary Board has reprimanded and ordered a refund of fees paid to an attorney to handle a divorce.

The client paid the attorney a total of $4,000. Several months later, the attorney advised the client that he had suffered a nervous breakdown and could not represent her. He also said that he was “checking into a hospital, that he was expecting to lose his law license” and could not return her retainer because of his own child support obligations.

The client was unable to further contact the attorney and retained new counsel. (Mike Frisch)