Derek Matthew Beaulieu is either incredibly dedicated to the service of Massachusetts’ parents and children in juvenile court, or, he’s an over-biller who misrepresented the amount of work he did for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The ABA Journal reports that it was the latter, as the state’s bar association just suspended his license for the four years it will take to pay restitution for the overbilling.

In 2008, Beaulieu billed the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) for 1800 hours, the Connecticut Commission on Child Protection (CCP) for 1,143.5 hours, and the Trial Court of Massachusetts (TRC) for 699 hours. In total, that’s 3,642.5 hours. In 2009, the total was 3,826.25 hours.

Then again, that’s ignoring the fact that sole practitioners also have administrative tasks, such as billing, accounting, tax paying, etc., that all have to be handled as well. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts referred to his billing statements, which were made under the “pains and penalties” of perjury as “inaccurate and greatly inflated, and/or simply false.” They also didn’t match up with his personal time records.

One factor working in Beaulieu’s favor was that he had already agreed to make restitution for the excess payments. The court suspended his license for four years and ordered that he not reapply for reinstatement until he has paid in full.

Related Resources:

  • The Court Won’t Reinstate Your License. Can You Sue? (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • Pro Tip: Keep Your Email Address Current in the ECF (FindLaw’s Strategist)
  • Attorney Irks Tenth Circuit with ‘Frivolous’ Disbarment Appeal (FindLaw’s Tenth Circuit Blog)

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