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Problems in Legal Ethics Keyed to Schwartz, 14th Ed.
Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Casper
Citation:
318 P.3d 790 (2014)Facts
Stacy Casper entered into a Legal Services Agreement with a client in December 2011 for representation in divorce proceedings. The agreement provided for minimum billing increments of 15 minutes. The client paid a $5,000 retainer, and Casper represented the client through the first day of trial. In January 2013, Casper withdrew due to unpaid fees. After the divorce decree was entered, Casper filed a “Lien Statement” against real property awarded in the divorce, claiming $18,717.05 in unpaid fees. The lien was filed under a statute for improvements to real property rather than the attorney lien statute, and Casper attached the fee agreement and detailed billing records containing confidential client information. The billing records revealed numerous instances of improper billing practices, including billing twice for the same activities, charging 15-minute minimums for simple tasks like signing documents, and billing for work that should not have been charged to the client.
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