Lawyer suspended for one month over ethical breach in client conflict case

The Lawyers Disciplinary Chamber at the Court of Appeal overturned a previous acquittal and issued a one-month suspension against a female lawyer for violating the ethics and honor of the legal profession by allegedly colluding with her client’s opponent — his wife.

The case began when the client filed a formal complaint, claiming he had appointed the lawyer to represent him in a case against his wife.

However, the lawyer instead encouraged a reconciliation and drafted a settlement agreement, which he signed — believing it would serve the best interest of their children, reports Al-Anba daily.

Thirty days later, after the legal period to file a case against his wife had lapsed, he was shocked to learn that lawsuits had been filed against him. When he turned to his lawyer for support, she informed him that she could no longer represent him, having obtained a new power of attorney from his wife.

Lawyer Abdul Mohsen Al-Qattan, representing the complainant, explained that the lawyer in question had deprived her client of his legal right to act within the 30-day statutory period by facilitating a contract that became binding and then switching representation to the opposing party.

Al-Qattan emphasized that the court concluded the lawyer had failed to uphold the ethical standards and duties of the legal profession, breaching her client’s trust and acting in a way that directly contradicted the principles of legal practice.

Al-Qattan also confirmed that he has filed a civil lawsuit seeking 30,000 Kuwaiti dinars in compensation from both the lawyer and the client’s wife for damages resulting from their alleged collusion, which led to the loss of his client’s legal rights.