Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
CTV
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
The Law Society of Ontario said it received a total of 28 complaints from clients of Michael Allison Constable beginning in 2020.
Constable handled family law and child protection cases but often failed to show up for hearings or communicate with clients.
“Many of the clients that Mr. Constable abandoned were vulnerable,” said the law tribunal’s decision.
“They needed him to provide them with legal advice to advance their rights and protect their interests. When they needed him, he failed to respond, failed to attend client meetings, failed to attend meetings with opposing counsel, failed to attend settlement conferences, and failed to attend court.”
In one case, Constable agreed to represent a woman and her husband – known in court documents as ‘Client B’ -- seeking access to their grandson after their son’s death.
He accepted $2,500 to represent them but waited too long to file the motion to add the access issue to an ongoing custody hearing, forcing Constable to make a separate court application.
