02.24.2014 Reprimand [Forsyth County]

Antoinette L. Van-Riel violated numerous rules after being hired to represent M. K. in separation and divorce proceedings.  Van-Riel violated Rule 1.4 of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct for failing to respond to M. K.’s calls and requests for information.  She also violated Rules 1.5(a) and 1.4 for charging clearly excessive fees and failing to communicate with the client when the client had questions about the excessively charged invoice. Lastly, Van-Riel violated Rules 1.5(f)(2) and 8.1(b) for failing to participate in the North Carolina State Bar’s fee dispute program or the grievance process.

As a result, the North Carolina State Bar reprimanded Van-Riel for professional misconduct on February 24, 2014.

View the full disciplinary order below.

Trouble viewing? Click here to download the order (PDF, 66KB).

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About Laura Tonch, Former Senior Staff Writer/Ethics (18 Articles)
Laura Tonch served as the Ethics Staff Writer for the Campbell Law Observer. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan where she earned a degree in General Business with a concentration in Pre-Law and a minor in Psychology. After her first year of law school, Laura studied abroad in Vienna, Austria to study Comparative Civil Liberties through Wake Forest University School of Law. She interned for the NC Department of Justice, Transportation Section during the summer of 2014. Laura graduated from Campbell Law School in May 2015.
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