Campbell lawyer charged with misconduct for allegedly bilking client

A Campbell lawyer who allegedly tricked his client into bequeathing him $185,620 has been charged with misconduct by the State Bar of California.

The Bar, which licenses attorneys, has charged Paul Douglas Van der Walde with nine counts of misconduct, including fraud.

In an email, Van der Walde said he had no comment on the charges, other to say “I am an ethical attorney with a 25 year record of no discipline.” He also described the alleged victim, Mary Exum, as a “dear friend.”

Van der Walde allegedly tricked the elderly client into leaving him a 70 percent interest in her estate in a living will he drafted for her in 2009, according to the Bar.

The notice of disciplinary charges puts it this way:  Van der Walde “induced his client to make a substantial testamentary gift to himself.”

She died in 2014, and Van der Walde received the $185,620 in 2016.

The alleged violations came to the attention of the State Bar after a distant relative complained.

The Bar is allowing Van der Walde to continue practicing law in California while the case is heard. The agency has not posted a consumer alert on its website nor has it suspended his license because officials there currently believe his alleged misconduct was limited to this particular situation.

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Campbell lawyer charged with misconduct for allegedly bilking client