A Macon, Georgia, attorney has been disbarred after Georgia Supreme Court justices determined that he had violated multiple Georgia Bar rules, according to court documents.
The Justices found the defendant attorney violated multiple Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct connected with his representation of three of his clients. A sample of the allegations against the attorney included:
- Not abiding by a client's decision concerning representation;
- Not acting with diligence and promptness in representing a client;
- Not consulting the client on how to accomplish the client's objectives;
- Not holding funds or other property of the clients in an account separate from his personal account; and
- Withdrawing clients' funds for his personal use.
In addition, the attorney was charged with being dishonest, fraudulent, deceitful, and making misrepresentations to a client.
Because the attorney, in practice since 2006, never responded to the complaints when they were filed, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that he admitted to the allegations by default. Alba Rosa, "Macon attorney accused of misusing money, no-showing for hearings. He's disbarred" www.macon.com. (Sep. 16, 2025).
Commentary
Many violations of both the Georgia and ABA Model Rules are highlighted in this case:
For instance, ABA Rule of Professional Conduct 1.2 states, in part:
- … a lawyer shall abide by a client's decisions concerning the objectives of representation and, as required by Rule 1.4, shall consult with the client as to the means by which they are to be pursued.
Next, neglecting client matters and failing to communicate with the client are by far the most common reasons attorneys are disciplined or disbarred. The ABA Model Rule 1.3 states: "A lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client."
A comment to this rule states:
"Perhaps no professional shortcoming is more widely resented than procrastination." R.1.3 (3).
The reasons for failing to complete client matters in a timely fashion range from simple lack of interest in the matter to not wanting to deal with difficult clients, lack of organization, or simply feeling overwhelmed.
Some of these reasons can be addressed by referring the work out, or using a system designed to overcome procrastination, or seeking professional help for depression or anxiety.
