'RHONJ' Star Jacqueline Laurita — Creditor Accuses Her Of Playing Dirty Legal Games, Purposely Delaying $7.8M Legal Battle
July 31 2014, Published 4:07 p.m. ET
Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita and her husband Chris are being accused of playing dirty legal games in an attempt to delay a $7.8 million legal battle, and RadarOnline.com has exclusively obtained court documents filed by a creditor calling their bluff.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the legal team heading up the couple's bankruptcy case filed paperwork dropping the reality TV stars as clients, claiming they are still owed a “significant amount of money” from them.
The Laurita’s finances are in shambles after their clothing company, Signature Apparel, failed and filed for bankruptcy in 2009. Then, the couple was accused of knowing the company was going under while taking out money for personal use in an attempt to defraud their creditors.
As a result, the Trustee of the bankruptcy case sued for $7.8 million to pay back their creditors.
The law firm stated that, "The Lauritas have failed to comply with their agreement and obligations under the Engagement Letter with respect to expenses and fees owed to Troutman Sanders in connection to the Laurita Adversary Proceedings."
But just one week after the Laurita's legal team, Troutman Sanders, filed court documents to back out of representing the couple, one of the creditors in the bankruptcy case filed paperwork on July 25 objecting to the lawyers dropping them.
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"The Withdrawal Notices provide no explanation of which of the Laurita Defendants have failed to pay legal fees or the quantum of legal fees that are outstanding with respect to each defendant," the document reads.
"Without this information, the Court has little basis to assess any merit of the Withdrawal Motions."
The filing goes so far as accusing the Lauritas of playing dirty legal games and having their lawyer withdraw as an attempt to delay the case, which is soon to be headed to trial.
"Delay has been the Laurita Defendants’ primary defense tactic in these proceedings, and Signature is concerned that this latest and last gambit simply is more of the same," the documents state.
"Withdrawal for failure to pay fees at this late stage in these matters, when Troutman Sanders clearly was aware of that issue for months, is ethically suspect at the least."
The case has been pending for years and the creditors are seeking a speedy end to it.
The request demands that Jacqueline and Chris explain who they intend to hire as their new representation so the case will not be delayed any further.