Law Society of Saskatchewan Announcement Discipline Decision: Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Buitenhuis
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Discipline Decision: Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Buitenhuis
April 21, 2020A decision has been released in relation to the matter of Law Society of Saskatchewan v. Garth Buitenhuis. The following allegations against the Member were proven:
(Formal Complaint #1)
[that he] did charge the Estate of F.B. a fee that was not fair or reasonable, in that he charged for time spent responding to a Law Society complaint;
(Formal Complaint #2)
did, without the approval of the Court, enter into a contingent fee agreement for legal services related to a family law dispute;
(Formal Complaint #3)
did accept cash in an aggregate amount of $249,700.00 in respect of one transaction, contrary to Law Society of Saskatchewan Rule 909.
The following penalty was imposed by the Hearing Committee:
- IT IS ORDERED THAT IN RELATION TO COMPLAINT #1, GARTH BUITENHUIS is reprimanded;
- IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT IN RELATION TO COMPLAINT #2, GARTH BUITENHUIS shall pay a fine of $2,000.00 to the Law Society of Saskatchewan;
- IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT IN RELATION TO COMPLAINT #3, GARTH BUITENHUIS shall pay a fine of $7,500.00 to the Law Society of Saskatchewan;
- IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT GARTH BUITENHUIS shall pay the fines ordered to the Law Society of Saskatchewan in the total amount of $9,500.00 by December 31, 2020, or such other date as the Executive Director may approve. In the event the member does not pay the fines within the established time frame, or within any altered time frame established by the Executive Director, the member is suspended from the time of his failure to pay the fines until such time as he pays them.
For more information on Law Society of Saskatchewan discipline proceedings, please visit the Discipline Section of the Law Society of Saskatchewan website.