Former clients of Roanoke bankruptcy attorney Ann Marie Miller, who paid for work the lawyer never did, will be reimbursed an average of less than 20 cents on the dollar, according to a court order issued this week in Roanoke Circuit Court.

Miller’s bankruptcy practice ended last year in a dispute with a former partner, an assault charge and an agreement in October to give up her law license.

Carter “Chip” Magee, the Roanoke attorney appointed by the court to close Miller’s practice, located hundreds of files belonging to people who paid Miller, but whose bankruptcy cases were left in limbo. Magee retrieved about $7,000 from Miller’s accounts and about $35,000 more from her former partner, attorney Jeffrey Kessler of Vinton, who also gave up his bankruptcy practice in the wake of the dispute with Miller.

Miller and Kessler had dated in law school and later shared bankruptcy work in Roanoke. Miller said last year that they were romantically involved as they worked together. Kessler said they were not. The partnership ended when Kessler married a paralegal who had worked for both lawyers.

Miller was convicted of disorderly conduct after altercations with the newlyweds. A judge said an assault charge would be dropped if she stayed out of trouble for a year. The Virginia State Bar moved to close her practice as clients complained work they had paid for was not done.

The court order filed this week says $43,516 was found to put toward claims that totaled $214,335.

Magee said that the Virginia State Bar’s Client Protection Fund, set up to help cover losses caused by dishonest lawyers, might help Miller’s former clients make up a portion of their losses.

Information about the fund can be obtained by calling the state bar association at (804) 775-0567 or (804) 775-0575.

Staff writer Laurence Hammack contributed to this report.