Claims of more than £11 million have been made against the estate of Johnathan Philip Toppin Brooks, the High Court was told yesterday. Mr Brooks, a solicitor, took his own life in 1992.
Mr Justice Kearns heard that some £6.5 million of the claims had been refused or abandoned, while the Law Society's compensation fund had paid out £4 million to former clients of Mr Brooks.
The affairs of Mr Brooks, of Annamoe, Co Wicklow, have been the subject of investigation by the Law Society since his death.
Yesterday Mr Maurice Curran, solicitor for the Law Society, said that a claim by the Revenue Commissioners for £73,000 had been compromised for £20,000, and it was proposed to pay the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment £2,875 under the Redundancy Payments Act. He knew of no other claims and believed any such claims would be statute-barred. Any monies collected by him from Mr Brooks's estate should go to the Law Society.
Mr Curran recovered assets of £375,908, which included the proceeds of insurance policies. Mr Justice Kearns approved the payments.