Fort Mohave attorney Geraldine S. Miller was suspended for 30 days after knowingly causing harm to client’s case. Miller failed to close an estate and inform the client of following litigation.
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Arizona Supreme Court accepted an agreement for discipline by consent between Miller and the State Bar of Arizona that resulted in her suspension from the practice of law.
Miller was retained to represent a client in the informal probate of the estate of her [client’s] father. She failed to close the estate and a demand notice was filed by another family member, to which she failed to respond or forward to her client. A petition for evidentiary hearing was filed, and Miller again failed to respond or forward the request to her client.
Adding to the negligence, Miller failed to notify her client of the Court’s decision to restrict the sale of the residence without a court order. She failed to inform her client of the court order and withdrew from the case.
In a guardian and conservator case, Miller was initially hired to represent the guardian conservator. When her representation of the guardian conservator ended the court appointed her to represent the protected person (the Ward). The Ward later hired a new attorney to help remove the guardianship and conservatorship, but Miller failed to abide by the Ward’s decision and filed motions to oppose the removal.
Miller ignored reports from doctors who opined that the Ward was capable of managing his own affairs. She was removed as counsel for the Ward by court order based on a conflict of interest.
Miller’s 30-day suspension will be effective on January. 21, 2017. She was ordered to serve a one-year probation period upon reinstatement and must pay $1,200 to the State Bar of Arizona for costs and expense incurred during proceedings. She must pay client restitution in the amount of $2,000, must complete the Bar’s “10 Deadly Sins of Conflict” CLE program, and must complete six additional hours of CLE in probate law.