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Another lawyer in trouble again... for acting for client while being a bankrupt and borrowing $ from client
- Thread starter Balls2U
- Start date
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Oh dear I do sincerely hope it's not our beloved sister Claire.....
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- Apr 14, 2011
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Same person???
Presentation by Family Lawyer – Ms Malathi Das (Immediate Past President of SCWO)
‘More of such sessions for social service practitioners please!’
Sure, we’d love to deliver! Feedback like this sure is encouraging to us at MSC; and we were eager to see the reception to our new initiative – the MSC Heart-2-Heart.
Family Lawyer – Ms Helen Chia responding to queries
The inaugural session, held in June last year sought to bring together like-minded community partners for an evening of sharing and discussion with our volunteer lawyers.
In reaching out to the community through our community partners, MSC has been visiting community partners for more than a year now to share about its services as well as learn more about the resources available across the social service landscape. Through these exchanges, MSC has further found its niche in providing legal advice – not only to the public, but to community partners as well.
This thus birthed the MSC Heart-2-Heart- which is essentially a platform for community partners to share legal issues which are commonly faced by their clients, to equip themselves with basic legal knowledge regarding divorce and marital matters. Our volunteer lawyers, all of whom are experts in Family Law, joined us for the evening and helped to warmly welcome the attendees to share openly and ask questions.
The segment which most differentiates MSC’s new initiative took place during the second half of the evening. Our volunteer lawyers facilitated a breakout group each and addressed the burning questions and case-specific queries (in line with the general theme for the evening) that attendees had come prepared with.
The evening ended on a great note as community partners gathered once again, brimming with new information they were ready to share with each other and henceforth pass on to future clients in need.
Breakout group session
Heart-2-Heart with MSC: Connecting Community Hearts
5 September 2016
‘More of such sessions for social service practitioners please!’
Sure, we’d love to deliver! Feedback like this sure is encouraging to us at MSC; and we were eager to see the reception to our new initiative – the MSC Heart-2-Heart.
The inaugural session, held in June last year sought to bring together like-minded community partners for an evening of sharing and discussion with our volunteer lawyers.
In reaching out to the community through our community partners, MSC has been visiting community partners for more than a year now to share about its services as well as learn more about the resources available across the social service landscape. Through these exchanges, MSC has further found its niche in providing legal advice – not only to the public, but to community partners as well.
This thus birthed the MSC Heart-2-Heart- which is essentially a platform for community partners to share legal issues which are commonly faced by their clients, to equip themselves with basic legal knowledge regarding divorce and marital matters. Our volunteer lawyers, all of whom are experts in Family Law, joined us for the evening and helped to warmly welcome the attendees to share openly and ask questions.
The segment which most differentiates MSC’s new initiative took place during the second half of the evening. Our volunteer lawyers facilitated a breakout group each and addressed the burning questions and case-specific queries (in line with the general theme for the evening) that attendees had come prepared with.
The evening ended on a great note as community partners gathered once again, brimming with new information they were ready to share with each other and henceforth pass on to future clients in need.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2011
- Messages
- 17,131
- Points
- 113
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/helen-chia-thomas/76/7a6/431
EXPERTISE
Matrimonial and Family LawCUSTOMER TYPE
Individuals & CompaniesAFFILIATION
NA
Education
EDUCATION
LL.B. (Hons) (Wolverhampton)CERTIFICATION
Barrister-at-Law (Middle Temple, UK), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), Commissioner for Oaths (Singapore), Associated Mediator (Singapore Mediation Centre), Associated Mediator (Matrimonial Mediation Scheme) (Singapore Mediation Centre), Volunteer Mediator (Family Justice Courts), Appointed to Panel of Child Representatives (Family Justice Courts), Primary Justice Lawyer (Community Justice Centre), Collaborative Family Practice LawyerYEAR FIRST ADMITTED TO BAR
1900
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
English (GB)LANGUAGES WRITTEN
English (GB)
About Me
Helen graduated in 1996 from the University of Wolverhampton, with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). Helen was called to the English Bar by the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1998 and admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1999. Helen as a firm believer and advocate of alternative dispute resolution is an Accredited Associated Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre ("SMC") and has been appointed to the panel of the Matrimonial Mediation Scheme of SMC. Helen volunteers as a Mediator with the Family Division of the State Courts to deal with children's issues at the Child Focused Resolution Centre. Helen recently completed her training in Specialised Family Mediation in October 2014. Being ahead of her peers, Helen is one of the first two Collaborative Family Practice lawyers in Singapore, trained in Monash University, Australia.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2011
- Messages
- 17,131
- Points
- 113
Helen Chia-Thomas, senior lecturer and family law practitioner
LettersHelen graduated from the University of Wolverhampton in 1995. She specialised in matrimonial law by her sixth year of practice. Helen is a pioneer in Collaborative Family Practice and also a trained Family Mediator, Child Representative, Parenting Coordinator, and Cross-border Family Mediator. She is currently Senior Lecturer at the School of Law, Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Helen enjoys journaling and keeps a different journal for different themes.
This Letter is addressed to herself in 2017, after years in practice, when she finds that she has fallen into depression.
Helen, Helen.
Do you remember the first time God called your name?
You had just started general practice in a small firm. Your boss gave you a file: a lady had stolen money from her employers; she needed the money; her mother was down with cancer and subsequently died of it; her husband was a bankrupt; she had a three-year-old boy at the material time. She was a Christian, and so were you.
Client meetings became sharing meetings. She decided to plead guilty, and you asked for prayer to cover you. One week before the mention where she was to take her plea and be sentenced, your client called you and asked, “Did you read the papers?” A lady in a similar position to your client had been sentenced to a year’s imprisonment. You prayed all the harder.
The day of her mention rolled around. You appeared before a very strict judge -- and to your utmost shock, he orders your client to pay a $6,000 fine. When you left the courtroom, a senior lawyer followed you out. He looked at you and said, “You must be a Christian.” When you said yes, he went on, “When you stood up, the spirit of God told me to look at you and when I looked at you the spirit of God told me to cover you, your client, and the judge in prayer.”
Helen, God sends us angels in our lives, and that day He sent you an angel with a message: He was at work when you were at work. Repeat now the words you heard Him say that day: “You’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, and I have given you the desires of your heart. Use it for my glory. Because I can always take it away the way I gave it to you.”
God made it so clear. He showed you His plan for you and opened the doors so wide that you had no other option but to walk right through. And family lawyering became, for you, a form of service; your strong traits, put to God’s glory.
But things have been different lately, haven’t they? You don’t like going to work anymore. You don’t like to see your baby girl dancing around, you prefer to see her sleeping. Your client is brutally slashed by her husband and you can’t bring yourself to see her or be with her family. You find yourself thinking, “I don’t care.” One day, while waiting to see the duty judge, you are seized by a sudden desire to run out of the courtroom and never come back.
Helen, this isn’t you.
You will find out that you have fallen into depression, the result of relying on your own strength and taking on two high-profile, emotionally wrought cases. Your wake-up call will be your daughter, lying beside you in bed one night and telling you, “I want a happy mama.”
In the worst year of your entire life -- you will find that God speaks to us in our darkness, too. God will take that period of depression and put it to use for His glory. He will tear all your layers down. He will strip you bare. You will be cold, and naked, and vulnerable, but once you go down to the foot of the cross, He will raise you from the ashes and make you new.
In the same year, you will be approached by the Dean of the School of Law at SUSS and new, wide open doors will await you. You don’t think you’ll ever be ready, but you seek God and you feel Him telling you to go for it. I will raise you from the ashes.
The meetings that follow will reveal to you in bite-sized portions the purpose and design of your life. Helen, pay attention! That is God telling you why you are there.
Then restoration will come to your life. You will realise that the one person who will continue to be constant in your life is your husband. He will support you the whole way. He will pray with you and pray for you. He will never judge you. He will never leave you.
That’s how God works. You think now that depression means failure. You think that having a meltdown is failing yourself, not to mention all the people around you. But God will never fail you. And with Him on your side, how can you fail? He is about to take you on a journey of immense grace, and He will heal the parts of you that even you didn’t know you had to deal with.
When God first spoke to you, you decided to use your gifts to make an impact, even if only to one life. School has now opened, and Helen, you are going to impact lives in a bigger way. You are going to equip the lawyers of tomorrow with the skills to be instruments in their workplaces. Do you see, once you let God intervene in your work, how beautifully He comes through?
Helen, God has promised us that He will take care of us. He is taking care of you, now, even in the darkest year of your life. Hold on to Him, and you will be remoulded beyond your imagination.
I’ll be seeing you,
Helen
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- Apr 14, 2011
- Messages
- 17,131
- Points
- 113
WHY BANKRUPT? THOUGHT LAWYERS MAKE BIG BIG BIG MONEY $$$$$?
Despite not having a valid practising certificate, a bankrupt lawyer pretended to a client that she was authorised to represent the woman in a care and custody dispute.
Ms Helen Chia Chwee Imm later borrowed $60,000 from the client and her family on the pretext of annulling the bankruptcy, and continued to pretend that she was handling the custody case personally.
On Tuesday (Aug 2), Ms Chia, who was called to the Bar in 1999, was struck off the roll by the Court of Three Judges.
The court found that her false representation to the client that she had her bankruptcy annulment "sorted" - which implied she could hold a practising certificate - amounted to dishonesty.
The fact that Ms Chia continued to create the false impression that she was attending to the client's matters revealed a defect of character rather than a lapse of judgment, said the court.
Between Dec 17, 2016, and May 30, 2018, Ms Chia did not have a valid practising certificate because she was an undischarged bankrupt.
Despite this, she met the client on Dec 19, 2016, for a first consultation over the care and custody of the woman's son.
Following the meeting, they exchanged e-mail and text messages, and the client engaged Ms Chia's firm to act for her on Aug 31, 2017.
Ms Chia advised the client, drafted letters to the opposing party, and prepared court documents for the care and custody case.
On Dec 18, 2017, Ms Chia told the client for the first time that she was an undischarged bankrupt and could not appear in court or attend an upcoming mediation session with her.
The client was alarmed but felt trapped as Ms Chia had been advising her for the past few months.
Around this time, Ms Chia borrowed $40,000 from the client, ostensibly for the purpose of discharging her bankrupty.
The client lent her the money in the expectation that it would enable Ms Chia to get her practising certificate in time to attend the mediation with her.
In February 2018, Ms Chia borrowed another $20,000 from the client's mother.
Ms Chia's bankruptcy was eventually annulled on May 22, 2018, and she obtained a valid practising certificate on May 31, 2018.
The client discharged her on Sept 21, 2018, and engaged new lawyers to handle the care and custody matter. She lodged a complaint to the Law Society against Ms Chia in September 2019.
In October last year, a disciplinary tribunal found Ms Chia guilty of two misconduct charges - one for falsely representing herself as a practising lawyer and one for borrowing the $60,000.
Under professional conduct rules, lawyers are prohibited from borrowing from their clients, without them seeking independent advice.
The tribunal found that Ms Chia's misconduct was serious enough to be referred to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers.
On Tuesday, the Law Society's counsel, Mr Peh Aik Hin, sought a striking off.
Ms Chia, who represented herself, sought a suspension and apologised for her wrongdoing.
Despite not having a valid practising certificate, a bankrupt lawyer pretended to a client that she was authorised to represent the woman in a care and custody dispute.
Ms Helen Chia Chwee Imm later borrowed $60,000 from the client and her family on the pretext of annulling the bankruptcy, and continued to pretend that she was handling the custody case personally.
On Tuesday (Aug 2), Ms Chia, who was called to the Bar in 1999, was struck off the roll by the Court of Three Judges.
The court found that her false representation to the client that she had her bankruptcy annulment "sorted" - which implied she could hold a practising certificate - amounted to dishonesty.
The fact that Ms Chia continued to create the false impression that she was attending to the client's matters revealed a defect of character rather than a lapse of judgment, said the court.
Between Dec 17, 2016, and May 30, 2018, Ms Chia did not have a valid practising certificate because she was an undischarged bankrupt.
Despite this, she met the client on Dec 19, 2016, for a first consultation over the care and custody of the woman's son.
Following the meeting, they exchanged e-mail and text messages, and the client engaged Ms Chia's firm to act for her on Aug 31, 2017.
Ms Chia advised the client, drafted letters to the opposing party, and prepared court documents for the care and custody case.
On Dec 18, 2017, Ms Chia told the client for the first time that she was an undischarged bankrupt and could not appear in court or attend an upcoming mediation session with her.
The client was alarmed but felt trapped as Ms Chia had been advising her for the past few months.
Around this time, Ms Chia borrowed $40,000 from the client, ostensibly for the purpose of discharging her bankrupty.
The client lent her the money in the expectation that it would enable Ms Chia to get her practising certificate in time to attend the mediation with her.
In February 2018, Ms Chia borrowed another $20,000 from the client's mother.
Ms Chia's bankruptcy was eventually annulled on May 22, 2018, and she obtained a valid practising certificate on May 31, 2018.
The client discharged her on Sept 21, 2018, and engaged new lawyers to handle the care and custody matter. She lodged a complaint to the Law Society against Ms Chia in September 2019.
In October last year, a disciplinary tribunal found Ms Chia guilty of two misconduct charges - one for falsely representing herself as a practising lawyer and one for borrowing the $60,000.
Under professional conduct rules, lawyers are prohibited from borrowing from their clients, without them seeking independent advice.
The tribunal found that Ms Chia's misconduct was serious enough to be referred to the court, which has the power to suspend or disbar lawyers.
On Tuesday, the Law Society's counsel, Mr Peh Aik Hin, sought a striking off.
Ms Chia, who represented herself, sought a suspension and apologised for her wrongdoing.
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2021
- Messages
- 6,864
- Points
- 113
View attachment 154603
https://www.linkedin.com/pub/helen-chia-thomas/76/7a6/431
EXPERTISE
Matrimonial and Family Law
CUSTOMER TYPE
Individuals & Companies
AFFILIATION
NA
EducationEDUCATION
LL.B. (Hons) (Wolverhampton)
CERTIFICATION
Barrister-at-Law (Middle Temple, UK), Advocate & Solicitor (Singapore), Commissioner for Oaths (Singapore), Associated Mediator (Singapore Mediation Centre), Associated Mediator (Matrimonial Mediation Scheme) (Singapore Mediation Centre), Volunteer Mediator (Family Justice Courts), Appointed to Panel of Child Representatives (Family Justice Courts), Primary Justice Lawyer (Community Justice Centre), Collaborative Family Practice Lawyer
YEAR FIRST ADMITTED TO BAR
1900
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
English (GB)
LANGUAGES WRITTEN
English (GB)
Helen graduated in 1996 from the University of Wolverhampton, with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). Helen was called to the English Bar by the Honourable Society of Middle Temple in 1998 and admitted to the Singapore Bar in 1999. Helen as a firm believer and advocate of alternative dispute resolution is an Accredited Associated Mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre ("SMC") and has been appointed to the panel of the Matrimonial Mediation Scheme of SMC. Helen volunteers as a Mediator with the Family Division of the State Courts to deal with children's issues at the Child Focused Resolution Centre. Helen recently completed her training in Specialised Family Mediation in October 2014. Being ahead of her peers, Helen is one of the first two Collaborative Family Practice lawyers in Singapore, trained in Monash University, Australia.
About Me
Graduated in 1996, called to English Bar in 1998. What happened in the year 1997 ?
Wolverhampton got pakei meh ? Not football club ?
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Still need to study for the Bar exams for one year lah!
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KNN what kind of exam you need to take for the bar ? Multiple choice questions on how to make cocktails ?
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She took 2 years, apparently.
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Flung the first time and had to retake? High failure rates I heard.
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Those lawyers who obtained their degree from some wolf uk universities are all sub standards.
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Latte Art.KNN what kind of exam you need to take for the bar ? Multiple choice questions on how to make cocktails ?
View attachment 154611
hanor, apart from being an above-average barista, must be able to spell cheers, yamseng, salute, prost and wan for the road.
oso must ration ice-cubes to only 2 pcs per glass - and never lose the recipe for ice
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they’ll hit the jackpot if they represent billion dollar family trust. otherwise go for 69 families with at least $10m in cash.
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It doesn't matter which uni they gotten their degrees from. It also doesn't matter whether they are sub-standard so long as they can make money. The boss of Hoh Law Corporation is a good example. He knows how to strategize a successful business model and turned his practice into a cash cow. I'm sure he himself doesn't step into the courtroom to argue cases. And he probably makes more money than senior counsels. Any lawyer who can make tons of money by doing very little work or getting others to do the shit job for him while he enjoys the fruit of their labour is a successful and good lawyer.
Same person???
Heart-2-Heart with MSC: Connecting Community Hearts
5 September 2016
Presentation by Family Lawyer – Ms Malathi Das (Immediate Past President of SCWO)
‘More of such sessions for social service practitioners please!’
Sure, we’d love to deliver! Feedback like this sure is encouraging to us at MSC; and we were eager to see the reception to our new initiative – the MSC Heart-2-Heart.
Family Lawyer – Ms Helen Chia responding to queries
The inaugural session, held in June last year sought to bring together like-minded community partners for an evening of sharing and discussion with our volunteer lawyers.
In reaching out to the community through our community partners, MSC has been visiting community partners for more than a year now to share about its services as well as learn more about the resources available across the social service landscape. Through these exchanges, MSC has further found its niche in providing legal advice – not only to the public, but to community partners as well.
This thus birthed the MSC Heart-2-Heart- which is essentially a platform for community partners to share legal issues which are commonly faced by their clients, to equip themselves with basic legal knowledge regarding divorce and marital matters. Our volunteer lawyers, all of whom are experts in Family Law, joined us for the evening and helped to warmly welcome the attendees to share openly and ask questions.
The segment which most differentiates MSC’s new initiative took place during the second half of the evening. Our volunteer lawyers facilitated a breakout group each and addressed the burning questions and case-specific queries (in line with the general theme for the evening) that attendees had come prepared with.
The evening ended on a great note as community partners gathered once again, brimming with new information they were ready to share with each other and henceforth pass on to future clients in need.
Breakout group session
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