Decision dated 02/08/17
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Decision dated 02/08/17
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / relationship property dispute / client complained about fees / fees held to be fair and reasonable / lawyer commenced proceedings to recover fees / complaint that lawyer breached agreement not to commence proceedings / Auckland Standards Committee 3 of the New Zealand Law Society v W [2011] 3 NZLR 117 (HC) / whether lawyer breached undertaking not to commence proceedings / HELD / Committee and LCRO do not have the power to order a lawyer to withdraw proceedings / undertaking not provided / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / own motion investigation / liquidation of companies / lawyer acting for client and clients parents / conflict of interests / failure to ensure parties had independent legal advice / inadequate terms of engagement / poor communication / failure to confirm instructions / fees not fair and reasonable / breach of Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 6 / rule 6.1 / rule 7 / rule 7.1 / rule 11.3 / whether client was agent of parents / HELD / act has focus on consumer protection / lawyer should have communicated directly with parents / fees not fair and reasonable / publication ordered / Committee’s decision otherwise modified / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / relationship property dispute / mediated settlement / lawyer had not initially acted for client / complaint lawyer had not acted in clients best interests / fee complaint / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3.4 / rule 9 / rule 9.4 / whether fee estimate had been provided / HELD / lawyer acted according to instructions / estimate not provided / fees fair and reasonable / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / relationship property agreement / complaint lawyer failed to follow instructions / failed to keep client informed / withheld correspondence / fee complaint / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, section 110(1)(b) / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3.4 / rule 3.5 / rule 7 / rule 7.1 / rule 7.2 / rule 9 / rule 9.1 / HELD / fees fair and reasonable / lawyers acting on clients instructions / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Date of Decision 28 July 2017 | LCRO
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / dispute over trust and estate / lawyer sibling of complainant / complaint lawyer had a conflict of interest / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 5.4 / HELD / lawyer only acted on non-contentious matters / no evidence to support complaints / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / employment dispute / employment dispute / Committee found lawyer had potentially mislead complainants lawyer / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 12 / whether lawyer was misleading / HELD / no evidence to support claims lawyer was misleading / Committee’s decision reversed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / debt recovery proceedings / disclosure of confidential information / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 8.7.1 / whether personal characteristics is confidential information / duties to former clients / HELD / lawyer had not acted for former client for many years / any insights would no longer be accurate / no confidential information / Committee’s decision reversed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / dispute over estate / client legally aided / lawyer had not managed employee’s conduct / failed to manage practice / lack of timeliness in providing services / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3 / rule 11 / rule 11.3 / HELD / insufficient evidence on issue of timeliness and supervision / breach of rules 3 and 11.3 reversed / fine reduced / Committee’s decision otherwise confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / review of orders made by Committee / lawyer prepared a will / will maker lacked capacity / Committee ordered publication and compensation / whether client lacked capacity / HELD / questions of capacity for the courts / arguments for compensation should be tested by the courts / publication not in the public interest / Committee’s decision reversed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / unsuccessful criminal appeal / complaint lawyer retained a vehicle / fee complaint / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 9.6 / final accounts / whether fees were to be paid by legal aid / HELD / not enough evidence to support fee complaint / complaints about vehicle not suitable for the Office to determine / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Review / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / administration of estate / applicant not client of lawyer / Committee found lawyer was slow to render final invoice / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 9.6 / HELD / no duties owed to applicant / no evidence lawyer failed in their duties to the client / Committee’s decision reversed / section 211(1)(a)
Date of decision: 6 July 2017
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / dispute with commercial landlord / complaint lawyer terminated retainer / fee complaint / failure to send file to client / HELD / no evidence to support allegations / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaint / purchase of a business / lawyers acted for the vendor / refusal to return deposit / complaint lawyer breached undertaking / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 10.3.2 / lawyer holding funds as stakeholder / whether agreement cancelled / HELD / complaints process not an alternative to court proceedings / the Office is not the correct forum for the dispute / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Decision (6 July 2017)
Complaint / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / email contained threat to lay complaint against another lawyer / improper use of complaints process / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 2.7 / rule 2.10 / UF v OU LCRO 90/2011 (20 March 2013) / improper purpose / HELD / complaints process not to be used to enforce a legal right / email not sent for improper purpose / lawyer had sought advice from senior practitioner / Committee’s decision reversed / section 211(1)(a)
Committee determined that conduct be considered by Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal / overpayment on money into trust account / trust account obligations / failure to follow instructions / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, section 158 / Lawyers and Conveyancers (Trust Accounts) Regulations 2008, regulation 12 / Orlov v New Zealand Law Society [2013] NZCA 230, [2013] 3 NZLR 562 / VX and VXZ v North Island Standards Committee LCRO 126/2012 (5 June 2013) / HELD / Standards Committee not obliged to provide reasons for laying charges / laying of charges justified / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / purchase of a business / complaint lawyer failed to act competently / respond in a timely manner / did not provide required information / unreasonable fees / respect and courtesy / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 3 / rule 3.1 / rule 3.2 / rule 3.4 / rule 9 / rule 10.1 / RQ and RR v MZ LCRO 127/2011 (2 October 2012) / CW v XB LCRO 213/2010 (15 June 2011) / HELD / lawyers errors not at level of unsatisfactory conduct / lawyers should have explained matters more clearly to clients / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Decision (12 June 2017) PLUS a suplementary order dated 29 June 2017
Complaint / Committee found unsatisfactory conduct / property purchase / lawyers exchanged undertakings / applicant did not honour undertaking to release funds on the same day / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 10.3 / Auckland Standards Committee 3 of the New Zealand Law Society v W [2011] 3 NZLR 117 (HC) / Auckland Standards Committee v Stirling [2010] NZLCDT 4 / FY v UM LCRO 239/2010 (26 October 2011) / HELD / lawyers must honour all undertakings / breach of rule 10.3 / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / relationship property dispute / complaint lawyer of undue delay in providing files / file notes had been removed or destroyed / lawyer acted inappropriately / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 4.4.1 / rule 3.4 / rule 12 / Wilson v Legal Complaints Review Officer [2016] NZHC 2288 / uplifting files / HELD / delay in uplifting files unsatisfactory conduct / no evidence to support allegation material was removed from file / Committee’s decision modified / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / relationship property dispute / complaint that nothing had been achieved / lawyer had not acted in clients best interests / excessive fees / conflict of interest / Lawyers and Conveyancers (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 9.1 / HELD / no conflict of interest / lawyer progressed matters as was practicable / no unreasonable delays / costs ordered against lay applicant / fees fair and reasonable / Committee’s decision confirmed / section 211(1)(a)
Complaint / Committee declined to take further action on complaints / dispute between business partners / lawyer acted for both parties / complaint of conflict of interest / failure to follow instructions / Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008, rule 6 / rule 6.1 / rule 7 / rule 8 / rule 8.7 / Taylor v Schofield Peterson [1999] 3 NZLR 434 (HC) / Sandy v Khan LCRO 181/2009 (9 December 2009) / HELD / lawyer do not insist each party get independent legal advice / no informed consent / breach of rule 6 and 6.1 / unsatisfactory conduct / not enough evidence to determine instructions were not followed / Committee’s decision modified / section 211(1)(a)