The privilege of practicing law carries a solemn duty to protect the most vulnerable clients, especially in sensitive matters like child adoption. In a stark ruling, the Supreme Court of Georgia ordered the disbarment of attorney Deborah Lynn Haklin in May 2025 after she was found to have willfully abandoned a client’s adoption case and subsequently refused to refund the unearned legal fees.
Haklin’s disbarment is a severe consequence for failing to meet the minimum standards of diligence and for adding emotional distress to a client already navigating a complicated legal and personal journey.
The Breach: Neglect in a Sensitive Adoption
The disciplinary action stemmed from Haklin’s representation of a client seeking to finalize the adoption of five related children—a case with high stakes and deep emotional investment.
- Failure to Act: In 2019, the client paid Haklin $2,300 of the agreed-upon fee and secured the necessary relinquishment documents from the biological parents. Despite having all the required paperwork, Haklin took no action to file the documents with the court or advance the adoption proceedings for nearly two years.
- The Silence: Following the pandemic’s onset, Haklin stopped communicating entirely with the client, leaving the adoption in indefinite limbo.
- The Final Abandonment: Haklin eventually notified the client she was discontinuing representation, effectively abandoning the case and forcing the client to find new counsel to complete the crucial legal process.
The Aggravation: Abuse and Dishonesty
Beyond the professional negligence, Haklin’s conduct following the termination of representation severely aggravated her ethical violations:
- Refusal to Refund: Haklin refused to refund the substantial portion of the fee she had not earned, converting the client’s money for her own benefit.
- Derogatory Communication: When the client requested the refund, Haklin sent derogatory and accusatory text messages, including baseless claims that the client was “going after [her] sister’s kids.” This attempt to intimidate the client while unjustly keeping her money demonstrated a profound lack of professional integrity.
The Final Sanction: Disbarment
Deborah Lynn Haklin failed to participate in the disciplinary proceedings at every turn, leading all the damning allegations to be deemed admitted by default. The Supreme Court found that her conduct violated numerous Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct (GRPC), including those related to diligence (Rule 1.3), communication (Rule 1.4(a)), and unreasonableness of fees (Rule 1.5).
The Court was presented with several aggravating factors that necessitated the maximum penalty:
- Dishonest Motive: Keeping the unearned fee demonstrated a selfish or dishonest motive.
- Indifference to Restitution: Her refusal to refund the money and her hostile communication showed indifference to making restitution.
- Vulnerable Client: The client was vulnerable, depending on Haklin to finalize the adoption of five children.
While the Special Master suggested a one-year suspension, the Supreme Court ruled that the intentional abandonment of a vulnerable client in a critical legal matter, combined with the extreme aggravating factors, warranted disbarment. Her name was permanently removed from the rolls of attorneys in Georgia.
Conclusion: The Duty of Empathy
The disbarment of Deborah Lynn Haklin is a necessary, albeit unfortunate, outcome that reaffirms the Bar’s commitment to protecting clients from attorneys who prioritize self-interest over professional duty. In cases as emotionally sensitive as adoption, an attorney’s duty extends beyond mere competence to include empathy and ethical conduct.
Haklin’s willingness to abandon a client seeking to adopt children and then use intimidation to withhold funds proves that she fundamentally lacked the fitness required to hold a law license. The Supreme Court’s ruling ensures that the public is protected from such profound betrayals of trust.