Citation Issued: December 1, 2020; amended September 28, 2021
Aaron Murray Lessing
Citations are authorized by the Law Society of BC's Discipline Committee and list allegations against a lawyer that will be considered at a discipline hearing. Please note that allegations in a citation are unproven until a discipline hearing panel has determined their validity.
Nature of conduct to be inquired into:
1. Between approximately May 2016 and December 2019, while serving as the executor for the estate of WD, who had been your client, you failed to provide the quality of service expected of a competent lawyer, contrary to one or more of rules 3.1-1, 3.1-2, and 3.2-1 of the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia, by failing to do one or more of the following:
(a) take appropriate steps to probate the will;
(b) respond to e-mails sent by one or more of the beneficiaries dated May 13, 2016, June 15, 2016, November 3, 2016, March 12, 2017, February 5, 2019, March 8, 2019, June 27, 2019, July 3, 2019 and July 30, 2019;
(c) ensure the will was probated and the estate administered in a timely manner; and
(d) renounce your executorship after it became evident that you were unable or unwilling to assume the role of executor.
This conduct constitutes professional misconduct, pursuant to s. 38(4) of the Legal Profession Act.
2. Between approximately May 2019 and July 2019, while serving as the executor for the estate of WD, who had been your client, you failed to respond to communications from [bank] that were brought to your attention and which required a reply, and in particular you failed to respond to such communications from [bank] dated May 29, 2019 and June 26, 2019.
This conduct constitutes professional misconduct, pursuant to s. 38(4) of the Legal Profession Act.