Eugster can practice, for now

OLYMPIA – Spokane attorney Steve Eugster can continue to practice law – under supervision – while his disbarment case works its way through the Supreme Court.

So says the high court, which has denied a state bar association request to suspend Eugster from practicing law while the association prepares its disbarment case.

In court earlier this month, the justices seemed leery of suspending an attorney with no past disciplinary problems. In a ruling signed last week, they unanimously turned down the suspension so long as another attorney supervises Eugster.

Spokane Valley lawyer Howard Herman on Sunday agreed to review any pleadings drafted by Eugster and to file monthly reports with the court. Eugster currently has only three clients, according to court documents filed by his attorneys.

At issue is Eugster’s work with an elderly Colville woman, Marion Stead. A longtime acquaintance, she hired him to do some estate planning in 2004 but fired him when he tried to reconcile her with her estranged son.

Eugster says he thought Stead was becoming mentally incompetent. He asked a court to appoint a guardian over her affairs. The court turned down the request, but Stead reportedly spent thousands of dollars fighting it. She never spoke to her son again, and has since died.

The disbarment case is expected to be heard this fall.