Florida Bar vs. Joyce Sibson Dove

Supreme Court of Florida
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2007
CASE NOS.:
SC05-302 and SC05-1157
Lower Tribunal Nos.: 2003-00,282(2A),
2004-00,519(2A),
2005-00,001(2A)
THE FLORIDA BAR
vs.
JOYCE SIBSON DOVE
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Complainant(s)
Respondent(s)
After full consideration of this cause including oral argument, Joyce Sibson
Dove is hereby suspended from the practice of law until further order of this Court.
The suspension is effective thirty days from the date of this order so that respondent
can close out her practice and protect the interests of existing clients. If respondent
notifies this Court in writing that she is no longer practicing and does not need the
thirty days to protect existing clients, this Court will enter an order making the
suspension effective immediately. Respondent shall accept no new business from the
date this order is filed.
Full opinion to follow.
Not final until time expires to file motion for rehearing, and if filed, determined.
The filing of a motion for rehearing shall not alter the effective date of this suspension.
LEWIS, C.J., and WELLS, ANSTEAD, PARIENTE, QUINCE, CANTERO, and
BELL, JJ., concur.
A True Copy
Test:
bhp
Served:
HON. FREDERICK L. KOBERLEIN, JUDGE JOYCE SIBSON DOVE
KENNETH LAWRENCE MARVIN
ROBERT KING HIGH, JR.
KRISTIN A. GODWIN

Friday, April 20th, 2007

The Florida Bar v. Joyce Sibson Dove

SC05-302 | SC05-1157

The Florida Bar filed ethics charges against Ms. Dove related to her handling of an adoption. The judge assigned to hear the case as a referee found her guilty and recommended a public reprimand, two years probation, and forfeiture of fees. The Bar argues the discipline should be a year's suspension. Ms. Dove argues that no discipline more severe than a reprimand is warranted, that she should not have to pay some of the Bar's costs, and that she should not have to forfeit the fees.

Leon County

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http://www.floridabar.org/TFB/TFBPublic.nsf/WNewsReleases/E6E1DC44FCD678BC852572D00056E979?OpenDocument

Joyce Sibson Dove, P.O. Box 10426, Tallahassee, suspended, effective 30 days after an April 27 court order. (Admitted to practice: 1992) Dove proceeded with a termination of parental rights and adoption although she knew that the adoptee’s maternal grandparents were asserting a claim for priority in placement because she had lived with them for six months. She failed to notify her clients, the adoptive parents, of this claim and lied in court documents that she did not know the identity of the birth father. Dove’s actions resulted in litigation on the part of the birth mother and maternal grandparents to return the adoptee. In a subsequent settlement agreement, the adoptive parents were forced to agree to an open adoption, which means, the order states, that “instead of being a family, they will always be a substitute family. It is impossible to measure the difference between the open adoption achieved and the closed adoption sought. The non-clients’, birth mother’s, birth father’s and grandparents’ rights were also materially impacted.” (Case Nos. SC05-302 and SC05-1157)