Probate lawyer says he's out of money and trying to withdraw from cases of 800-plus clients
Lawyer Dennis Szafran told Judge Sherwood Coleman of Pinellas County, Florida, that he has “no funds or anything like that or any assets held in my name or my firm’s name or trust account.” Image from Shutterstock.
A probate lawyer in Tampa, Florida, who abruptly closed his law firm told a judge Friday that he’s been trying “as diligently as possible” to file withdrawal motions in cases for more than 800 clients.
Lawyer Dennis Szafran told Judge Sherwood Coleman of Pinellas County, Florida, that he has “no funds or anything like that or any assets held in my name or my firm’s name or trust account.”
Fox 13 News has coverage of the Jan. 12 court hearing.
Several clients have told Fox 13 News and WFLA that they did not receive refunds after Szafran closed his firm in October. Some say they were owed thousands of dollars. A Florida Bar spokesperson told WFLA that the bar has an “open file on this attorney.”
The Hillsborough County, Florida, sheriff’s office has also opened an investigation, a spokesperson told Fox 13 News.
Coleman told Szafran that his firm might be closed, but he is still accountable for his responsibilities absent a court order.
Szafran refused to comment to Fox 13 News, telling a news crew to “just leave me alone.”
Szafran did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal request for comment sent to an email listed by the Florida Bar. The office phone listed for Szafran tells callers that he can be contacted through the same email address.
