December 1, 2008: Fraudulent Arizona divorce lawyer sentenced to prison

by Jeffrey Cottrill

PHEONIX -- We've all heard the jokes and complaints about how lawyers supposedly scam people out of their life savings. But while most lawyers are honest professionals who just want to advocate for their clients as well as they can, a recent criminal case in Arizona tried a man who not only bilked people out of thousands of dollars -- he wasn't even a real attorney.

Gary Karpin, who had been running a business called "Divorce with Dignity", posed as a family law attorney for many years until he was arrested for fraud as well as 23 counts of theft. A jury found him guilty in October, and last week in Maricopa County Superior Court, he received a sentence of 15 years in jail (minus the 194 days he has already served).

There is also a civil suit against Karpin in progress.

"As one of the victims said," Judge Warren Granville told Karpin, 57, according to indie news source The Zonie Report, "you come to a professional at a time of need, and you breached that trust over and over again. At their most vulnerable point in life, you kicked them when they were down." Judge Granville also said that Karpin had "tainted the profession" of family law through his activities.

The state of Vermont disbarred Karpin from practicing law in 1992, after which he relocated in Arizona and established "Divorce with Dignity" while pretending to be a lawyer. He scammed numerous people for years until January 2005, when the Pheonix New Times ran a story about one of his victims, Gina Niedzwiecki. The article motivated other former "clients" of Karpin's to publicize their experiences.

More stories on working with divorce lawyers: Dealing with Legal Fees The Full-Service Lawyer The Selection Process Vital Qualities of Your Counselor A Solid Relationship

Niedzwiecki reportedly paid Karpin almost $90,000 over five and a half years and eventually filed for bankruptcy. She cannot work because she has multiple sclerosis. Niedzwiecki has requested financial restitution from the defendant, in order to keep the house where she and her daughters live. "Money was his motivation," she told the court, according to The Zonie Report, "and I believe money should be one of his major consequences.

"I can't even afford airfare to visit my father before he passes away," TZR quoted Niedzwiecki as saying. Her father is terminally ill and has no more than a few weeks left to live.

Nine other victims of Karpin's fraud told their stories in the case, including a woman named Clissy Landreaux. The phony legal fees she paid to Karpin reportedly made it difficult for her to pay for her son's college tuition, as well as her own expenses. "The defendant will never understand the effect he had on my life," Landreaux told the court, as reported in TZR. "Victims were the nails, Mr. Karpin was the hammer. And he nailed everything he saw fit."

Five people testified on Karpin's behalf, including his sister from Vermont and his daughter. Just before receiving his sentence, Karpin apologized to the court for "violating the trust" of his victims. "Whatever sentence the court imposes on me," he told the court, according to TZR, "I will accept it."

The obvious lesson here is that crime doesn't pay. But as ordinary people going through divorce (or other legal issues), we can learn from this too. It's very important to assure ourselves of the credentials of the lawyers we hire. Make sure you're finding your divorce professionals through a respectable source -- such as DivorceMagazine.com, which offers information on first-rate divorce lawyers, CDFAs, therapists, and other professionals across the United States and Canada.

More articles on how to work with divorce lawyers: http://www.divorcemag.com/articles/Divorce_Lawyers/

More divorce news: http://www.divorcemag.com/articles/Divorce_News/

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