Delayed family court process caused father to miss out on parenting time with his youngest daughter
Disbarred Calgary lawyer Ronverg Mendoza was convicted of fraud after pleading guilty to forgery in actions that his former client said greatly delayed the family court process and caused him to miss out on parenting time with his child.
Mendoza entered the guilty plea on Jan. 15, with Justice Ryan Anderson hearing how Mendoza forged court emails and documents and lied multiple times to his then client, Gord Weston. The court heard how these actions led to court delays that prevented Weston from spending time with his youngest daughter.
Mendoza became a lawyer in 2020 and was disbarred in 2025 after a Law Society of Alberta investigation and disciplinary hearing.
An agreed-upon statement of facts read aloud by prosecutor Megan Rosborough provided details of Mendoza’s crimes.
Specifically, the court heard that Mendoza took no steps in 2021 to schedule a trial for Weston after getting potential trial dates from the court. Instead, in June 2022 he forwarded Weston an email he had forged, which said the court had scheduled a virtual video hearing on Aug. 10 that year. Mendoza then worked with Weston to draft an affidavit to be used for the upcoming fictitious hearing, and subsequently forged a clerk’s stamp to indicate the affidavit had been filed with the court.
The court heard that on the date of the fake trial in August 2022, Mendoza forged another email saying the hearing had been rebooked for the next month. This was followed by four more falsified emails about trial dates being booked and then cancelled.
The court further heard how the situation escalated after Weston visited the courthouse in October 2022, believing he had an in-person hearing to determine if he would get access to his children. That was when he found out, instead, that his case was not on the court’s docket.
When Weston confronted Mendoza via a text message, the lawyer responded by saying he had “no excuses” and would “face the consequences.”
Weston then referred the matter to the Law Society of Alberta, which held hearings and ultimately disbarred Mendoza in July last year.
In its decision, the law society’s hearing committee said Mendoza had engaged in “ongoing intentional dishonesty and deceit” both to his clients and to the court, including 36 breaches of professional obligations, 23 instances of lying, and at least seven false documents, which included court documents. His improper conduct included missing numerous deadlines and failing to provide information to another client that caused the client to be found in contempt of court.
“Mr. Mendoza’s conduct involved ongoing, intentional dishonesty and deceit of his clients and of the court throughout most of his short career as a lawyer,” the committee’s conclusion read, adding that the conduct demonstrates that he “does not have the integrity, honesty or good character that is necessary of a member of the legal profession in Alberta.”
A psychiatric report was ordered to be completed on Mendoza, after which a sentencing hearing will be held on his fraud conviction later this year.
Mendoza declined to comment after issuing his guilty plea on Jan. 15.
