In the Matter of Richard R. Buckley Jr.

The Supreme Court accepted an attorney's petition seeking a four-month suspension for admittedly violating Rules 1.3, 1.4, and 1.16 d of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

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This disciplinary matter is before the Court on the report and recommendation of special master C. Deen Strickland who recommends accepting the petition for voluntary discipline which was filed by Respondent Richard R. Buckley, Jr. State Bar No. 092905 after the filing of a formal complaint, see Bar Rule 4-227 c, and who further recommends suspending Buckley for four months for his admitted violations of Rules 1.3, 1.4 and 1.16 of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, see Bar Rule 4.102 d. Although the maximum sanction for a Rule 1.3 violation is disbarment, we agree that a four-month suspension is an appropriate discipline in this case.

The record reflects that in June 2010 a client, who was a resident of Ohio, paid $750 to retain Buckley in connection with a change of custody action regarding her fifteen-year-old son. Buckley, who was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1985, performed some work on the case, but he had significant concerns about initiating the action and expressed those concerns to his client in the beginning of July. Although the client attempted to contact Buckley by telephone throughout the remainder of July and into August, Buckley failed to return her calls or otherwise advise her of the status of her legal matter. In August 2010, the client terminated Buckley’s representation and requested the return of her file and retainer. Buckley did not return her file, however, because he felt that he had earned his retainer and had a lien on her file. Nevertheless in February 2012, he provided the client a refund in the amount of $850 and sent her file to her.

In the Matter of Richard R. Buckley Jr.

The Supreme Court accepted an attorney's petition seeking a four-month suspension for admittedly violating Rules 1.3, 1.4, and 1.16 d of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.

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