Attorney faced with suspension for waiting years to pay client’s dental bills, using settlement for personal expenses

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A Watertown attorney could have her law license suspended for failing to use a settlement to pay a client’s dental bills.

In March, the Office of Lawyer Regulation filed a four-count complaint against Sandra J. Zenor, a solo practitioner.

The complaint said Zenor settled a client’s lawsuit for $13,000 in 2014, but she failed to pay two dental bills totaling about $2,500 using the money. Instead, according to the complaint, she used the money for her personal expenses.

The client reach out to Zenor by mail and phone in 2016 and 2017 asking her about the status of the bills. The complaint said Zenor never responded. A collection agency sent the client a letter in 2017 suggesting that the one of the bills had increased from about $1,500 to $3,290.

The complaint said Zenor didn’t respond until October of 2019, when she gave the client a check to pay off the debt in collections and paid the lien on the other bill herself.

The OLR is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to suspend Zenor’s law license for 60 days.

State Bar of Wisconsin records indicate Zenor is an active emeritus member. The phone number listed online for her law firm is no longer in service. Follow @WLJReporter