Hastings lawyer David Porteous, who turned in his practicing certificate last month amid an inquiry into the use of a family's trust fund, has now been struck off the roll of barristers and solicitors and ordered to refund a total of $34,455 to two other clients who had been over-charged.
The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal also ordered Porteous to pay $10,000 as a contribution to the New Zealand Law Society costs for proceedings in which he pleaded guilty to three charges of misconduct and two of unsatisfactory conduct.
Society president Kathryn Beck, of Auckland, said the proceedings leading to this week's decision were referred to the tribunal by a standards committee in December last year, relating to activity between 2010 and 2012, and including a client who had used the services of Mr Porteous since 2005.
They do not relate to separate concerns raised by Hastings man over so far unsuccessful attempts to retrieve funds from a family trust operated through the Porteous law firm which closed five weeks ago.
The society has also had other complaints.