A St. Petersburg law firm is staring at a legal malpractice lawsuit from a client who says her lawyers mishandled a fight over a roughly $1.7 million inheritance. According to the complaint, missed court deadlines and probate missteps after her parents died allegedly derailed key steps in the estate process and cost her the money she expected to receive.
As reported by Tampa Bay Business Journal, the client accuses attorneys at Johnson, Pope, Bokor, Ruppel & Burns of missing critical deadlines and mishandling procedural issues in the estate dispute, and is seeking roughly $1.7 million in damages. The outlet notes its coverage is based on the lawsuit itself and on people familiar with the filing.
Who Is Johnson Pope?
The firm lists offices in Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa and describes itself on its website as a full service practice, including trusts and estates litigation. Tampa Bay Times reporting shows the firm has been active in local litigation this year, including bringing a lawsuit linked to storm damage at its St. Petersburg offices.
What The Complaint Says
Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that the client’s suit centers on alleged missed deadlines and other procedural mistakes in both the administration and litigation of her late parents’ estate, mistakes she says wiped out about $1.7 million in value. Allegations involving missed motions or failures to preserve claims are a familiar feature of legal malpractice actions that grow out of hard fought probate battles.
Legal Timeline And What To Watch
Florida law treats professional malpractice (other than medical) under a discovery rule that generally gives claimants two years from when they discover the problem to sue, as set out in Florida Statutes §95.11. Courts have also recognized that when a legal malpractice claim truly begins can depend on whether the underlying case has wrapped up, a nuance that appellate decisions emphasize when deciding when the malpractice clock starts to run.
Why Heirs Should Pay Attention
For heirs and personal representatives, this kind of case is a pointed reminder to keep an eye on probate dockets, maintain organized records and ask for regular status reports from counsel. When families believe missteps cost them real money, an estate fight can quickly spawn a second front in the form of malpractice claims against the lawyers who handled the original dispute.
