Update: 5 p.m. April 11
After a Vernon lawyer recently announced his retirement from the profession, a decision from the Law Society of BC shows he was in fact pushed out the door due to multiple findings of professional misconduct.
Leonard Hil Marriott has been suspended from practicing law for 10 years starting no later than July 1 after he admitted to the misconduct, according to an April 10 statement from the Law Society.
Marriott's admissions of misconduct are related to two citations, decided by two separate hearing panels. The first concerns Marriott's actions between May 2019 and September 2020, when he was acting for an elderly client and the estate of her deceased spouse in a will and estate matter.
A hearing panel determined Marriott filed an incorrect form with the land title office and severed the client's joint tenancy, when he should have placed the family home into the client's name as the surviving joint tenant. He also failed to adequately investigate the facts and identify the legal issues; keep the client reasonably informed about the status of her matters; take appropriate steps to carry out the client's instructions and protect her interests; and take steps to avoid delay and unnecessary costs to correct errors or omissions.
The hearing panel found another instance of professional misconduct regarding Marriott's drafting and filing of materials with the Supreme Court of B.C. "that he knew contained false or misleading information, in that he failed to disclose the existence of a will for the client乌鸦传媒檚 deceased spouse, identify other potential beneficiaries, accurately represent the value of the estate, and advise the court that a related notice of dispute had been filed."
The Law Society said he failed to make sure the materials were forthright and accurate and take steps to correct the materials he filed.
The second citation saw another hearing panel determine professional misconduct regarding Marriott's drafting and execution of a client's will between July 2018 and March 2021. It was found he had failed to correctly document instructions from his client, determine the status of the beneficiary of the will, review the final draft of the will with the client before it was executed, and take steps to deal with matters affecting the validity of the will.
Marriott's "pre-taking" of more than $71,000 in executor fees was also found to amount to professional misconduct.
"The panel found that the executor fees were not fair and reasonable, and ordered (Marriott) to return the executor fees to his trust account by December 31, 2024 and not withdraw the funds until he obtains consent of the beneficiary or a court order," the decision states.
An improper withdrawal of more than $7,500 in legal fees led to another determination of professional misconduct.
Marriott admitted to the professional misconduct in a letter to the Law Society dated March 11.
Original:
A Vernon lawyer who has gotten himself into some trouble with the Law Society of BC has announced his retirement.
In a letter obtained by The Morning Star, North Valley Law announced that Leonard Hil Marriott will be retiring from practice.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his commitment and contributions to the legal profession and our clients over the years," said the law firm, which is owned by Marriott.
Leonard has been disciplined by the Law Society on multiple occasions, and the Law Society still has at least one outstanding discipline matter related to his conduct.
In December 2024, Marriott was into into his trust account after a Law Society panel found he had committed professional misconduct when he withdrew the funds, and also when he mishandled the execution of a will. The panel said Marriott's evidence and testimony about the matter confirmed he "did not appear to know the general principles and procedures in his practice area."
In February he was , this time after he knowingly filed false information to the courts about an elderly client's estate, and submitted documents related to a straightforward property transfer that were riddled with mistakes.
The Law Society confirmed to The Morning Star that Marriott still faces some potential disciplinary action. It said a hearing regarding an unknown conduct matter was adjourned on March 17, and an update on the matter is expected in the next few weeks. In light of Marriott's retirement, the Law Society said it retains jurisdiction over former members "and can continue to address the conduct at issue if it occurred during the time they were practicing."
It's unclear when exactly Marriott will retire from his practice; a member of his staff declined to confirm his official retirement date with The Morning Star.
The letter from his law firm says all of his client matters will be transferred to Vernon's Kidston Helm Ross Lawyers LLP.
"We are confident that (Kidston Helm Ross) will continue to meet your legal needs with professionalism and expertise," reads the letter. "We wish Leonard a happy and fulfilling retirement and look forward to ensuring you receive the best legal care through Kidston Helm Ross Lawyers LLP."
Though he was admitted as a member of the Law Society more than 30 years ago, Marriott has relatively little experience as a practicing lawyer. In all, he has only practiced law for about three years, with a gap of about 23 years from when he was first qualified to practice, according to a previous Law Society decision.