A second Pennsylvania attorney has been disbarred for his involvement in an estate planning company that allowed non-lawyers to draft living trusts for seniors. Attorney Barry Bohmueller worked with Brett Weinstein, who was disbarred for the same activities in July 2014.
As ElderLawAnswers previously reported, Weinstein and Bohmueller were involved with several estate planning businesses that sold living trusts to seniors. Non-lawyer sales agents would visit seniors in their homes and sell them living trusts as a way to avoid probate, using false and misleading information. The lawyers prepared the trusts, but had almost no contact with the clients.
Bohmueller and Weinstein shared fees even though they weren't partners, and Weinstein had access to Bohmueller's IOLTA accounts. In addition, Bohmueller failed to disclose two of his four accounts on his attorney registration forms and that checks totaling more than $1.2 million were made out to Weinstein.
Bohmueller worked with Weinstein from 2000 until 2004, when the attorney general brought charges against them for their practices. Bohmueller then continued to practice law separately without incident.
To read the decision of the court, click here.
For more information about the case, click here.
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