Deland attorney Andy Treusch has been suspended for three years following a Nov. 2 Florida Supreme Court order over allegations that included allowing non-attorneys to practice law and representing a client when there was a clear conflict of interest.
Treusch's suspension was effective 30 days from the date of the order and he will have to provide proof of rehabilitation prior to being reinstated, according to the state supreme court's two-page order and the Florida Bar's Dec. 28 announcement of the discipline. Treusch also was ordered to pay a little more than $3,562 in costs.
Treusch was alleged to have allowed non-attorneys to accept clients on his behalf and perform legal services in jurisdictions where he was not licensed to practice law, according to the state bar's announcement. "In another matter, Treusch undertook the representation of a client despite a clear conflict of interest," the announcement said.
"He also failed to properly supervise a non-lawyer employee who was responsible for all client communication, document preparation and insurance settlement negotiation."
In Florida, court orders are not final until after time to file a rehearing motion expires. Filing such a motion would not alter the effective date of the Treusch's suspension.
Treusch was admitted to the bar in Florida on Dec. 24, 1985, according to his profile at the state bar website. Treusch has had no other discipline before the state bar for at least 10 years, according to his profile.
Treusch is alleged to have engaged "over a period of several years" in improper business arrangements "with various nonlawyers", according to the consent judgment filed with the court. The judgment also includes Treusch's conditional guilty plea.
Treusch allegedly shared legal fees with the non-lawyers "and delegated all responsibility for client communication and document preparation to the non-lawyers without respondent exercising any meaningful supervision," the judgment said.