Ivor George Peynado

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The attorney handled the estate of the deceased Leopold Pedley, having been the family lawyer. After the testator died on 9 July 2005, and before the Grant of Probate (9 January 2007), the attorney inserted dates on Instruments of Transfer signed by the testator before death, and these were uttered/used. The Panel found this conduct went beyond mere carelessness or inadvertence. Applying the Forgery Act and authorities, the Panel found the documents represented a state of affairs that did not exist as the transferor was deceased. The attorney was found guilty of breaching Canons I(b), I(c), III(f), V(n) and V(o). The Panel did not impose sanction itself, instead ordering a separate sanction hearing in accordance with Clunie v The General Legal Council. No express finding of dishonesty was made.

Duties found breached:

• No conflict between current clients