Owen v. Forchelli

After an award of alimony and counsel fees in a matrimonial proceeding, the attorney who represented the wife and had received the fees was discharged. He applied in that proceeding for the fixation of his fees on a quantum meruit basis and a reference was ordered. Before any hearings were held he died. His client had retained and paid other counsel to handle the trial of the matrimonial action, *1065which resulted in a final decree of divorce in her favor. She now sues the estate of her original attorney to recover that portion of the counsel fees previously collected which were allegedly…