"Maxcy rule" strikes again: Fort Lauderdale attorney ordered to return $1.6 million in fees in probate case
On September 23, 2005 the Daily Business Review reported that Broward County probate judge Mel Grossman ordered Fort Lauderdale attorney Stephen Rakusin to return $1.6 million in fees and costs that were challenged by Holy Trinity Orthodox Seminary, a Russian Orthodox monastery. The Monastery was represented by Robert Judd, a partner at Gunster Yoakley in Fort Lauderdale, in connection with the fee dispute.
According to the Daily Business Review, judge Grossman ruled that under the "Maxcy rule" (see Maxcy v. Citizens National Bank of Orlando, 240 So.2d 93 (Fla. 2d DCA 1970)), after four years of work on the case attorneys Stephen Rakusin and Craig Donoff (both of whom were engaged by the personal representative of the estate) would have to contend themselves with a $151,500 flat-fee originally negotiated by Donoff. Judge Grossman ruled that Rakusin's billing was a violation of the Maxcy rule because he was contracted to perform the same legal services on an hourly basis that Donoff had agreed to do for a flat fee.
Lesson learned: In probate, winning is only half the battle. Getting paid for your work is often just as difficult and hotly contested as the underlying litigation.
Couldn't happen to a better atty. Read the daily business reeview and you will get a better idea of how this atty works.
would love to learn more about these attorneys...
can't find any more information and need it. have been victimized.
thank you.
is it possible to reach skip, who wrote in on october 15, 2005? he suggested reading more about these attorneys...
i cannot find the articles he referred to.
in gratitude,
shaina
my ex-wife hired stephen rakusin and now lives with him as his paramour and they have lets say very aggressive in their legal pursuits against me. I would love to know everything about this guy that anyone knows. Rakusin says he's run up more than $250,000 in legal bills. The catch is he was trying to collect $19,750 and $2500. Who spends $250,000 to collect less than $23,000 and why would they do it?
Stephen Rakusin,
No one remebers more than he.
WE have had a litigation case going for five years with aprox. 40,000 documents.
In a month long trial recently completed; he could pull out a sentence or two from some deposition of some twety five witness taken over the course of years, or pull a document out of some old file and ultimatley turn any witness expert or attorney upside down.
He is crazy expensive working both ends ultimatley justifing the means.
No one works more hours or expects more from his employees, and family.
He truly Loves to Litigate.
He is one of the best "pure" attorneys I have ever seen.