In a dramatic turn of events, a California resident has filed a lawsuit alleging professional negligence against her former attorney, claiming that his incompetence could cost her dearly in her ongoing divorce proceedings. The complaint was filed by Melissa Verakis on April 29, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, targeting Michael David Sudman and his law office.
The lawsuit centers around a post-marital agreement drafted by Sudman in July 2013 for Verakis and her then-spouse, Michael Newcomer. This agreement was intended to mutually waive each spouse's rights to spousal support and retirement benefits. However, when Newcomer challenged the validity of this agreement during their divorce proceedings in July 2024, Verakis discovered through her divorce counsel that the document might be deemed invalid due to significant drafting errors. "Plaintiff will suffer substantial and significant monetary damages and losses if the post-marital agreement is found to have been defectively drafted," the complaint states.
Verakis accuses Sudman of failing to perform adequate legal research and providing erroneous legal advice regarding the non-modifiability of spousal support provisions within the agreement. She claims that Sudman's actions fell below the standard expected of attorneys in similar circumstances. As a result, she has incurred attorney fees and costs while defending against her spouse's challenge to the agreement's validity.
Verakis seeks compensatory damages for all economic and non-economic losses caused by Sudman's alleged malpractice. These include potential liability for spousal support payments to Newcomer and loss of retirement benefits. Additionally, she requests pre-judgment and post-judgment interest at the legal rate, attorney fees related to both this case and the underlying divorce matter, as well as any other relief deemed just by the court.
Representing Verakis is Michael Labrum from the Law Offices of Michael Labrum. The case is being overseen by Judge K. Biaker under Case No. 2025 CUPNO43147.