The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office said a Derby man will pay restitution and a civil penalty for practicing law without a license.

Andrew Wells has entered into a consent judgement after an investigation by the DA’s Office.   A county resident said she met with Wells as his “law office” and hired him to represent her in a payment dispute with the Social Security Administration.  Wells quoted a fee of $2,000, and the resident ended up paying him $500 over a five-month period.

The resident continued to receive notices from SSA and at least one of her benefit checks was garnished.  She notified Wells to stop legal work and return documents she had provided, but he said he would continue to fight the case and he did not return her documents.

The Consumer Protection Division of the District Attorney’s Office alleged Wells violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA) by failing to provide the consumer with a material benefit, making misleading statements, and engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.   Wells entered into the consent judgement to settle the case.  Under the agreement, he agreed to pay $500.00 in restitution to the consumer. The court assessed a $60,000.00 civil penalty, as well as court costs and investigative fees. Wells promised not to perform or contract for any work he does not have the required license to perform.

The District Attorney reminds Sedgwick County residents that attorneys are required to be licensed and registered with the Kansas Supreme Court. The District Attorney suggests checking with the Kansas Supreme Court-Attorney Registration System, https://directory-kard.kscourts.gov/ or calling 785-296-8409, to determine whether a person is licensed to practice law. A properly licensed attorney will have a status of “Active”, meaning the attorney is in good standing and authorized to practice law in Kansas.