On Friday, August 29, 2025, the Presiding Judge of the Supreme Court of Colorado approved a stipulation to discipline attorney Bernadette Teresa Gonzales, resulting in a nine-month suspension from the practice of law.
The case is entitled “People v. Bernadette Teresa Gonzales,” with case no. 24PDJ094.
Gonzales will serve sixty days of the suspension, while the remaining time will be stayed contingent upon her successful completion of a two-year probationary period, which is subject to specific conditions. The suspension is set to take effect on October 3, 2025. This disciplinary action stems from multiple violations of the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct.
In one instance, Gonzales faced a lawsuit from a contract paralegal who alleged that she failed to appear for trial, leading to a default judgment against her and her law firm. Following this, a process server issued individual and business interrogatories to Gonzales, which she did not respond to by the required deadline. Consequently, the paralegal sought a contempt citation, prompting the court to issue a show cause order to Gonzales. Although she submitted a response shortly before the contempt hearing, the court found her in both punitive and remedial contempt due to her initial failure to comply with the interrogatories. This conduct constituted a violation of Colo. RPC 3.4(c), which mandates that lawyers must not knowingly disobey a tribunal’s obligations.
In a separate matter involving a client, Gonzales was retained without providing a fee agreement. Furthermore, she did not keep copies of any written communications regarding the scope of representation or her fees. This failure violated Colo. RPC 1.15D(a)(3), which requires lawyers to maintain records of all written communications related to fee agreements.
Additionally, Gonzales represented a client in a domestic relations case but neglected to schedule a permanent orders hearing as mandated by the court. Despite communicating with both the opposing counsel and her client, she failed to act, leading to the court issuing a second order. When neither party set the matter for a hearing, the court dismissed the case, which the client discovered only through the court clerk. This neglect violated Colo. RPC 1.3, which stresses the importance of diligence and promptness in client representation.
Furthermore, Gonzales faced criticism for her conduct on social media. In 2020, a former client posted a negative review about her services. Gonzales responded publicly, criticizing the client as a terrible mother, labeling the client’s child as “worthless” and “entitled,” and suggesting that the client and her family were dishonest and lacked integrity. This reply was found to breach Colo. RPC 1.6(a) and Colo. RPC 1.9(c). The rules prohibit lawyers from disclosing information regarding client representation without informed consent and from using former client information to their disadvantage.
According to Avvo.com, Ms. Gonzales is a DUI and DWI attorney in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. She attended the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, graduating in 1997. She acquired her law license in Colorado in 2000.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
