Gordon Wayne Ruley

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

Gordon Wayne Ruley, a BC lawyer acting as executor and trustee of a deceased client's estate, admitted professional misconduct in a Rule 3-7.1 consent agreement approved October 20, 2025. He improperly withdrew legal fees ($17,284.29 and $22,400.00), inadvertently used the estate debit card for personal purchases ($4,994.44), took a $273,449.70 executor fee without required releases, and failed to provide competent service (unaccounted funds, improper interim distribution, unpaid taxes, overdraft charges). No dishonesty was found; misconduct was largely inadvertent. He agreed to a ten-week suspension commencing October 27, 2025.

Duties found breached:

• No improper benefit, loan or bequest
• No improper use of client money

Aggravating factors:

• Professional conduct record consisting of three conduct reviews in 2011, 2013, and 2017

Mitigating factors:

• Admitted misconduct and cooperated with the investigation
• Misconduct occurred primarily due to inadvertent errors and lack of attention rather than intentional misfeasance
• Remorseful and repaid/agreed to repay funds to the Estate