A law firm breakup turned ugly as allegations of theft and instability mark a fight between former partners.

The Law Firm of Goldstein Schmitt & Associates lost more than 100 clients in March when shareholder Thomas Schmitt abruptly left the Stuart firm to open a Martin County office for Kogan DiSalvo & Schmitt, taking with him fellow attorney Anthony Bennett and paralegals Nicole Cephas-Lopez and Julianne Lorello.