The Washington State Supreme Court has mandated a nine-month suspension for a local attorney, concluding a disciplinary inquiry that highlighted a history of unnecessary litigation and the improper handling of client money.
The court’s decision, recorded on August 27, 2025, stipulates that the lawyer must observe a 24-month probationary period after returning to professional practice.
The initial misconduct traces back to the attorney’s own divorce proceedings, which commenced in 2017. Lacking a background in family law, the lawyer represented himself, citing financial constraints that prevented him from retaining separate counsel.
After a binding arbitration ruling in May 2018 granted primary custody of his child and the family residence to his ex-spouse, the attorney initiated an aggressive series of legal challenges to overturn the outcome. He submitted numerous repetitive and meritless motions seeking to vacate the arbitrator’s decision, consistently breaching court-issued directives intended to restrict his filings.
The trial court explicitly cautioned the attorney that his pursuit of baseless claims was impeding the administration of justice and depleting judicial resources.
The situation deteriorated in 2020 when the lawyer filed a tort action for damages against his former spouse and her legal representative. In 2021, a judge dismissed the suit with prejudice, formally determining that the attorney had exhibited “an ongoing and present pattern of abusive litigation.”
Consequently, the court prohibited him from initiating new cases or motions for a six-year duration unless he obtained prior judicial permission.
Trust Account Mismanagement
Parallel to the family law conflicts, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel examined the attorney’s financial conduct after receiving notice of insufficient funds from his bank in January 2019.
An audit spanning August 2018 to December 2020 found that the lawyer failed to keep complete check records or conduct required monthly trust account reconciliations.
The audit identified significant breaches in the safeguarding of client assets:
- The attorney created substantial deficits in client trust accounts, with one shortfall reaching at least $83,910.48.
- In August 2019, he withdrew more than $100,000 in client funds via a cashier’s check payable to his own firm. He explained this move as an effort to shield client funds from garnishment related to his divorce.
- In a distinct personal injury case, the lawyer erroneously collected a duplicate fee of $23,448.97. Since the specific clients did not have those funds on deposit, money from other clients was used to cover the payment, exacerbating the account shortages.
Mitigating Factors
The Disciplinary Board cited several mitigating circumstances that favored a suspension over disbarment.
Most significantly, the Board noted that the attorney suffers from personal, emotional, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) issues.
His mental health counselor testified that the PTSD likely provoked fight-or-flight responses, which directly impacted the lawyer’s behavior, decision-making processes, and the specific issues he chose to litigate.
Path Forward
The nine-month suspension began in September 2025. Reinstatement to the bar is contingent upon the payment of $750 in administrative costs.
Upon reinstatement, the attorney will undergo a rigorous 24-month probation. The conditions of this probation mandate periodic inspections of his trust account procedures, the submission of quarterly financial records to ODC auditors, and strict adherence to the rules governing client funds.
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