Attorney Won't Disburse $400,000 Settlement

What is the name of your state? Washington State

Last October my siblings and I received a $400,000 settlement for the wrongful death of our mother. Our attorney has not distributed the money. For months he told us that he was too busy. He ignored all correspondence sent to him and would not take our calls. When one of my sisters threatened to file a complaint, he finally provided a proposed distribution. When we asked for an accounting of the difference between the $400,000 and the $182,000 he proposed to distribute, he said he would have to charge us for that - probably $100 or so. He refuses to answer any questions about what happened to the interest earned on the money.

Is there a timeline within which he must disburse the funds?

Are we entitle to the interest earned on the funds during the months of delay?

Do we have to pay him to give us and accounting?

Is there a state agency which licenses or oversees attorneys?

What can we do to get him to disburse the money?

Call him once more -- tell him that you are calling the state bar, that he has breached his contract with you, and has stolen funds, and that you are aware the presumtive sanction for that is disbarment.

Tell him he has 30 days to make a full accounting of all funds and make a distribution, or you will go ahead and report him to the bar.

badapple40 said:

Call him once more -- tell him that you are calling the state bar, that he has breached his contract with you, and has stolen funds, and that you are aware the presumtive sanction for that is disbarment.

Tell him he has 30 days to make a full accounting of all funds and make a distribution, or you will go ahead and report him to the bar.

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and then I would report him anyway. If he is doing this to you, I would bet you aren't the only folks he has/will do this to.

What he said.