On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, The Florida Bar filed a formal complaint against attorney Gale Marie Bobenhausen, citing multiple violations of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The complaint highlights Bobenhausen’s failure to perform her duties as an inventory lawyer and her continued practice of law while delinquent on her legal obligations.
The case is entitled “The Florida Bar v. Gale Marie Bobenhausen,” with case nos. 2023-10,191(6A) and 2023-10,622(6A).
The charges cited Rules Regulating the Florida Bar 4-1.1, 4-1.2, 4-1.3, 4-1.4 and 4-8.4(g).
The first count involves Bobenhausen’s role as an inventory attorney for the law practice of Ryan Torrie’s late father, Scott Torrie. In October 2020, Bobenhausen was retained for this role and requested an advance payment of $10,000 for her services. Despite receiving the payment, she reportedly failed to provide timely updates or complete the necessary inventory of the law practice, which led to numerous requests for information from Torrie that were left unanswered.
As the complaints regarding her performance mounted, the Florida Bar eventually sought Bobenhausen’s removal from the inventory attorney position, which was executed in 2023. During the investigation, Bobenhausen did not respond to multiple inquiries from the Florida Bar, leading the grievance committee to conclude that her failure to comply was willful. As a result, the Florida Bar filed a Petition for Contempt against her in another case, where she similarly failed to respond.
The second count in the complaint pertains to Bobenhausen’s actions while she was ineligible to practice law. It is noted that she became delinquent on her Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements and fee payments in July and October 2022, respectively. Despite her ineligibility, she sent correspondence in January 2023 on behalf of Gulfwind Contracting, LLC, identifying herself as litigation counsel and asserting representation of the company.
This misrepresentation raised concerns when a representative from Gulfwind Homes alerted Bobenhausen to her ineligibility to practice law, urging her to transfer the matter to a licensed attorney. Similar to the first count, Bobenhausen did not respond to inquiries related to this matter, prompting the Florida Bar to file a Petition for Contempt in the ongoing case where she was again found in contempt of court and subsequently suspended from practicing law.
As of the filing of the recent complaint, Bobenhausen remains unresponsive to previous communications from The Florida Bar and continues to be suspended from practicing law. The complaint outlines specific violations of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, including a lack of diligence, failure to communicate, and practicing while delinquent.
The Florida Bar has formally requested that the Supreme Court of Florida impose appropriate disciplinary measures against Bobenhausen following these findings.
According to avvo.com, Ms. Bobenhausen acquired her law license in Florida in 1984.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
