By Rita Farlow, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
CLEARWATER — A Clearwater probate attorney has been suspended from practicing law under an emergency order by the Supreme Court of Florida.
In a petition for emergency suspension, the Florida Bar said Bruce Gregory Kaufmann "appears to be causing great public harm" and referred to a pattern of "obtaining fees, controlling assets, enforcing individuals to 'pay him' before he resigns as Trustee."
The order prohibits Kaufmann from taking new clients and requires he quit representing current clients within 30 days of the order, which is dated Oct. 27.
In the petition for suspension, the Florida Bar stated that Kaufmann was asked by clients in two cases to resign as trustee of trusts and "refused to do so until more fees were promised or paid."
In one case, a family had in place a line of successor trustees, the petition states. When ...