Thomas P. Lowe, a divorce lawyer in Eagan, Minn., has been barred from practicing law for the next 15 months. Lowe recently admitted to having sex with a client -- and then billing her for his time.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Lowe and the woman had known each other since 1985, but that affair took off in August 2011, when she approached him to represent her in a divorce. Several days after agreeing to represent her, Lowe reportedly asked if she would be interested in having sex (which is clearly against the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers).
After their sexual encounters, Lowe would bill the client for his time, coding them as "meetings or drafting memos," reports the United Press International.
The affair continued until March 2012, then met an abrupt end when Lowe's wife learned of her husband's infidelity. According to the Star Tribune of Minnesota, Lowe ended the tryst, withdrew as the woman's attorney and sent her a bill. His former client then attempted suicide.
When pressed, she disclosed the affair to hospital workers.
Lowe had his license revoked Jan. 10 by the Minnesota Supreme Court on the grounds of "professional misconduct, namely, engaging in a sexual relationship with a vulnerable client and billing the client for meetings in which they engaged in sexual relations."
The Pioneer Press adds that Lowe had previously been put on probation in 1997 for using cocaine and having purchased the drug from a client.
[h/t Gawker]