Vernon, Canada – A British Columbia lawyer faced significant scrutiny and was deemed to have engaged in professional misconduct, according to a recent ruling by a Law Society of B.C. hearing panel. Leonard Hil Marriott, owner of North Valley Law with practices in Vernon, Armstrong, and Enderby, allegedly mishandled legal documents and provided misleading information regarding an elderly client’s estate.
In one instance, when tasked with a simple property transfer after his client’s spouse passed away, Marriott inaccurately completed a form, effectively severing a joint tenancy rather than transferring it, as was required. This error led to considerable complications with the land titles authority which Marriott failed to communicate to his elderly client. The panel labeled these missteps as professional misconduct or incompetence.
Furthermore, Marriott omitted critical details in his client’s file, including the presence of a will and the deceased husband’s children from an earlier marriage. These omissions excluded potential beneficiaries from the estate planning process. Despite Marriott claiming his client had not informed him of her stepchildren, the panel found these claims untrustworthy, concluding that it was “inconceivable” that the client would omit such important information.
Documents submitted by Marriott to the court were found to contain numerous errors. The panel noted inconsistencies in his testimony, describing his responses as unresponsive and evasive. His credibility was strongly questioned, especially after he inaccurately suggested that difficulties he faced in accessing court services were a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the mishandlings occurred before the pandemic began.
Marriott faced three professional misconduct charges though one was dismissed. The allegation claimed he misled another counsel regarding the existence of a valid will, but the panel concluded there were insufficient grounds for this charge. However, the panel confirmed the two other charges of misconduct, primarily stemming from his failure to manage his client’s estate and legal documents effectively.
This recent decision marks the second time Marriott has been found guilty of professional misconduct recently. In a separate case in December, he was ordered to return over $71,000 to his trust account following wrongful withdrawals and mismanagement in executing another will.
Despite being a member of the Law Society for over 30 years since his admission in February 1992, Marriott has only practiced law for about three years after a hiatus of about 23 years.
As these legal controversies unfold, the findings highlight the critical importance of diligence and accuracy in legal practices, particularly when managing the affairs of vulnerable clients.
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