Nicoletta Stephanz

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
In re
NICOLETTA STEPHANZ,
Debtor.
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Case No. 04-01597
(Chapter 7)
MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER STRIKING APPEARANCE OF COUNSEL
The debtor has filed a praecipe requesting the clerk of
court to remove the law firm representing her from the case
(Docket Entry No. 61). 	Our Local Bankruptcy Rules address how an
attorney may file a motion for leave to withdraw from the case.
Here, in contrast, it is the debtor who has filed a paper seeking
to strike the appearance of the law firm representing her, and
the Local Bankruptcy Rules are silent regarding a debtor seeking
to strike the appearances of the attorneys representing her. 	The
praecipe was filed the same day as the meeting of creditors, and
this suggests that the debtor submitted the praecipe so that the
trustee would be able to question the debtor at the meeting of
creditors without her counsel being present. 	It would be
preferable for the law firm to have filed a motion to withdraw in
The Memorandum Decision and Order below is signed.
Dated: July 8, 2008.
_____________________________
S. Martin Teel, Jr.
United States Bankruptcy Judge
Case 04-01597 Doc 63 Filed 07/09/08 Entered 07/09/08 13:54:04 Desc Main
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accordance with Local Bankruptcy Rule 2091-1, and the law firm
faced the risk that by failing to appear on the debtor's behalf
at the meeting of creditors, the law firm could be sanctioned had
the debtor had a change of heart about representation, resulting
in the trustee having to delay the meeting. 	But the debtor has
made clear that she no longer wishes to be represented by the law
firm. 	It is thus
ORDERED that the appearances of Erik G. Soderberg and Gary
F. Weltmann of the law firm of Papermaster & Weltmann, P.C., as
counsel for the debtor are stricken, and their appearances are
deemed withdrawn.
[Signed and dated above.]
Copies to: Debtor;
Erik G. Soderberg, Esq.
Papermaster & Weltmann, P.C.
30 West Gude Drive, Suite 450
Rockville, MD 20850
Gary F. Weltmann, Esq.
Papermaster & Weltmann, P.C.
30 West Gude Drive, Suite 450
Rockville, MD 20850
Case 04-01597 Doc 63 Filed 07/09/08 Entered 07/09/08 13:54:04 Desc Main
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