J Richard Kanuch

In early January, I engaged this attorney based on a referral from the Louisiana Bar Association’s website and paid a retainer for representation at a hearing for a domestic violence restraining order that I had filed myself. I had to prepare the entire briefing with minimal assistance from him, and ...he took days to respond to messages and was unresponsive by phone. On the court date, he failed to appear and blamed me for not adequately reminding him, despite having sent him the paperwork with the dates clearly indicated. Due to his absence, the judge ruled against me by default, resulting in a $500 payment for the abuser’s attorney fees. I attempted multiple times to obtain a refund, but I was either ignored or given excuses. He repeatedly requested a chance to “make this right,” so I allowed him to file a petition for damages. Four months later, I received paperwork filled with errors regarding the parish, the court, and other crucial details, which I had to correct myself. Important elements, such as how the other party would be served, were omitted. I filed the corrected paperwork on April 16, and the courthouse mailed him the official copies on April 17. However, as of June 26, no action has been taken. Despite numerous attempts to contact him, he provided excuses and finally claimed he never received the paperwork. After confirming with the courthouse that the paperwork had been sent and that no additional copies were requested, I confronted him. His response was that he never received the paperwork and had to request another copy, which was false according to the clerk of court. My requests for a refund have been ignored. Despite performing most of the legal work myself, he failed to complete the simple task of mailing a document, instead providing excuses and inappropriate details about a personal medical issue. It has been seven months, and I have incurred an additional $500 bill. My safety remains at risk, and I am now more vulnerable than before due to my attempts to seek legal protection. Unfortunately, pursuing further action would require hiring another attorney to recover my money. To save yourself time and trouble, I strongly advise finding another attorney. Based on my experience, this attorney lacks ethics and is likely to mishandle your case and finances.