Ethics
Lawyer suspended after criticizing client’s mothering skills in response to negative review
The Colorado Supreme Court recently suspended a lawyer for various reasons, including making negative remarks about a client on Facebook. (Image from Shutterstock)
A Denver lawyer who called a client “a terrible mother” in response to a negative Facebook review has been suspended from law practice for her online comments and her conduct in three other cases.
Bernadette Teresa Gonzales has been suspended for nine months, with only 60 days to be served if she successfully completes a two-year probationary period, according to an Aug. 29 summary of action by the Colorado Supreme Court’s presiding disciplinary judge.
The Denver Post reported on the suspension, which begins on Oct. 3.
The negative review, posted on the Facebook page for Gonzales’ law firm, said Gonzales is a “horrible lawyer” who “doesn’t do her job and is a nasty rude person.”
Gonzales replied in the comments section. “Be careful of this woman and her family,” Gonzales wrote. “She is a terrible mother. She allows her kids to damage other people’s property and then blames everyone else. She does not like hearing the truth about her lack of parenting nor the worthless child she raised. Just another dysfunctional family raising entitled children.”
According to the suspension order, in other matters, Gonzales:
• Failed to answer individual interrogatories in a lawsuit filed against her by a contract paralegal.
• Did not keep copies of any agreement or communications about the basis or rate for her fees for one client.
• Did not set a hearing for permanent orders in a client’s domestic relations matter, leading to dismissal of the case.
Gonzales did not respond to the ABA Journal’s request for comment when reached by phone.
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