Suspended attorney Carol Cagle will receive $1,000 from the Lakin Law Firm to settle a claim that the firm wrongly withheld fees from her in a personal injury case.
Madison County Circuit Judge Lola Maddox approved an agreement between Cagle and the Lakin firm June 22.
Cagle had argued that she deserved half of a fee that the Lakin firm collected in a suit that Merry Lovett and Deven Chavours filed against Thomas Schuler and Beelman Trucking.
Cagle and Lakin attorney Rodney Caffey filed separate suits for Lovett and Chavours in 2004. Defense attorneys settled the Lakin firm's suit last September.
In October the Illinois Supreme Court suspended Cagle for nine months on charges that she failed to disclose relevant information in bankruptcy court, neglected cases and misrepresented the status of cases to clients.
Cagle filed a lien against the Lakin firm, seeking half the fees from Caffey's suit.
The Lakin firm responded that Cagle's suspension made her a lay person, and court rules prohibited sharing of fees with lay persons.
Cagle replied that she filed the suit before her suspension.
Cagle's suspension will end July 17.
Suspended attorney victorious in $1k fee dispute
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