Ohio’s highest court suspends an attorney who was hired to administer two estates, one involving a Medicaid recipient, but who neglected the clients after he discovered he couldn’t solve the issues the clients wanted to be resolved. Disciplinary Counsel v. Brueggeman (Ohio, No. 2020-OHIO-1578, April 24, 2020).
Attorney Edward Brueggeman practiced law in Ohio. In 2010, the state imposed a conditionally stayed one-year suspension on him for neglecting client matters and failing to communicate with clients. In 2017, Rebecca Lowry hired Mr. Brueggeman to help her administer her brother’s estate in a way that her mother, who was on Medicaid, would not inherit her brother’s house as his will dictated. Mr. Brueggeman directed Ms. Lowry to disclaim her mother’s interest in the estate, but Ms. Lowry did not have that authority under her mother’s power of attorney. When Mr. Brueggeman learned this, he stopped working on the estate and did not respond to Ms. Lowry’s attempts to communicate.
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