Judge: Jon R. Takasugi, Case: 21STCV45024, Date: 2023-07-20 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV45024    Hearing Date: August 10, 2023    Dept: 17

Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles

DEPARTMENT 17

Attorneys Zachary D. Schorr’s, Stephanie C. Goldstein’s, and Schorr Law, APC’s motion to be relieved as counsel is GRANTED, effective upon filing proof of service of the court’s order (MC-053).

Legal Standard

Motions to withdraw are routinely granted if made in the proper form and presented with proper notice. The court may issue an order allowing an attorney to withdraw from representation, after notice to the client.  (Code Civ. Proc., § 284(2).) 

Discussion

Attorneys Zachary D. Schorr, Stephanie C. Goldstein, and Schorr Law, APC bring the instant motion for relief as counsel as to Plaintiff Garen Gulbenkian. They explained their reason for the motion as:

Client has an outstanding balance that he has failed to pay, despite repeated promises that Client would pay. Client's failure to pay the outstanding balance breaches the terms of our signed written retainer agreement. We have made repeated requests for payment, but as of this motion there remains a balance. As a result, and for other reasons that would require the disclosure of attorney-client privileged communications, which we can share in camera, there has been an irremediable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship. Further, there are long periods of time where Client fails to timely communicate with counsel on relevant and important matters, which renders representation impracticable.        

(MC-052.)

The following documents are properly submitted: Civil Form MC-051 “Notice of Motion and Motion to be Relieved as Counsel,” Civil Form MC-052 “Declaration in Support of Attorney’s Motion to be Relieved as Counsel,” and Civil Form MC-053 “Order Granting Attorney’s Motion to be Relieved as Counsel.”

            The motion is GRANTED.

It is so ordered.

Dated:  August    , 2023

   Hon. Jon R. Takasugi
   Judge of the Superior Court

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the court at smcdept17@lacourt.org by 4 p.m. the day prior as directed by the instructions provided on the court website at www.lacourt.org.  If a party submits on the tentative, the party’s email must include the case number and must identify the party submitting on the tentative.  If all parties to a motion submit, the court will adopt this tentative as the final order.  If the department does not receive an email indicating the parties are submitting on the tentative and there are no appearances at the hearing, the motion may be placed off calendar.  For more information, please contact the court clerk at (213) 633-0517.