Solicitor’s father sues Law Society over compo

A 84-YEAR-OLD retired lorry driver has brought a legal challenge over the Law Society’s refusal to compensate him for more than €500,000 after his daughter, a solicitor, allegedly misappropriated money from the estate in which he was the main beneficiary.

Larry Quinn, with an address at Montrose Park, Perrystown, Dublin, said that he and his son, Larry Junior, were appointed co-executors of the estate of the late Sarah Doody and that Mr Quinn was the main beneficiary.

The will was made in 2003 and she died some time later.

The court heard that the estate mainly consisted of the proceeds of the sale of a house at Wainsfort Road, Terenure, which was sold in 2004 for more than €555,000 and the proceeds of a joint account between Mr Quinn and Ms Doody amounting to €117,000.

His daughter Joan Quinn, a solicitor who formerly carried out a practice under the title of Quinn and Company, Village Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24, acted as the administrator of the estate.

However Mr Quinn discovered in 2009 that his daughter was involved in the misappropriation of monies in the amount of €529,000 from the estate of Ms Doody.

As a result of this, Mr Quinn applied to the Law Society for compensation. However, on October 21, 2009, that application was refused on the grounds including that Mr Quinn had been negligent.

Mr Quinn applied to have the matter reconsidered by the society, which was also rejected.

However, Mr Quinn claims he was not afforded the chance to engage with this review nor to make submissions and present evidence.

He claims the society’s decision was made in breach of fair procedures and natural justice.

In his proceedings Mr Quinn is seeking an order quashing the decision of the Law Society’s Regulation of Practice Committee not to grant him a payment from the Law Society’s compensation fund.

He is also seeking declarations from the court that he is entitled to be compensated in the amount of his loss from the estate of Ms Doody and that he has not been guilty of negligence and that the decision is a breach of his rights and fair procedures.

Leave to bring the proceedings was granted by Mr Justice Michael Peart.

The matter was made returnable to later this month.