Tampa Attorney Faces Investigation Amidst Mounting Allegations of Debt Owed to Numerous Clients Following Sudden Closure of Law Firm

An increasing number of former clients of a Tampa attorney are speaking out, alleging that he owes them thousands of dollars after taking their money and abruptly closing his law firm. Leah Abdou is the most recent individual to come forward, contacting FOX 13 about Dennis Szafran, who owned DJS Law Group before shutting it down last month. Abdou explained that she reached out to Szafran after her grandmother, Janice Abdou, passed away. She needed a probate attorney to ensure that the family home in Lehigh Acres, Lee County, remained in their name. Abdou presented receipts from Szafran totaling nearly $3,000 but claimed to have paid him closer to $7,000. She was shocked to learn that Szafran had closed his business with her case still unresolved. As a result, the bank is now foreclosing on the childhood home, and Abdou no longer has the funds to prevent it.

This story emerges in the same week that the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirmed an investigation into Szafran after receiving numerous similar complaints from former clients. Many of these individuals require a probate attorney to handle the settlement of their loved ones’ estates. One mother shared her experience with FOX 13, explaining how she hired Szafran to help maintain guardianship of her disabled 18-year-old son. Families who have spoken with FOX 13 have reported paying him between $3,000 and $4,000 in most cases. Angia Papazion, one of Szafran’s clients, recently discovered that DJS Law Group had shut down. Some clients have requested refunds, but Szafran has informed them that refunds will not be issued.

The Florida Bar Association has initiated an investigation into Szafran, and former clients have created a Facebook group with over 30 members to share their experiences. FOX 13 has attempted to contact Szafran multiple times, including through text messages that he appears to have read, but the attorney has not responded. A FOX 13 crew visited Szafran’s house, and while he answered the door, he promptly slammed it in the reporter’s face.