Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection Announces First-Quarter Deadlines for Claims

The fund gives clients a pathway to seek reimbursement for attorney malpractice and misconduct.

The Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, a crucial tool to ensure fairness and accountability within the legal profession, has announced its deadlines for the first quarter of the year.

Michael T. McCormick, the director of the fund, declared that any person intending to file a claim with the fund against the attorneys listed in their report must do so prior to the stipulated deadlines.

The fund exists to provide financial recourse for clients who have experienced financial losses due to the misconduct of their attorneys. It serves as a protective measure to uphold the integrity of the profession, compensating on behalf of the honest majority of lawyers for the malpractices of a few.

To be eligible for a claim, the attorney named in the claim must have been a member of the bar or acting as an attorney or fiduciary at the time of the incident. Unless deceased, the attorney must have been disbarred, suspended, placed on disability inactive status, or convicted of embezzlement or other forms of property misappropriation. Crucially, the attorney's conduct must have been dishonest, not merely negligent.

Claims become eligible for compensation upon the issuance of the Supreme Court's decision to suspend or disbar an attorney. Clients have a one-year deadline following the disciplinary action to file claims against the attorney.

However, the fund emphasizes that disciplinary action against an attorney does not automatically guarantee compensation for any specific claim. Attorneys may face disciplinary action for various forms of misconduct, not exclusively misappropriation.

Individual clients may receive up to $400,000 in compensation, with a cap of $1.5 million for total claims against a single attorney.

To file a claim, interested parties can access the claim form online or by contacting the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex, P.O. Box 961, Trenton, NJ 08625-0961, or by calling 855-533-FUND (3863).

The form must be completed, notarized, and returned along with copies of any supporting documents that serve as proof of the transaction. Notably, there is no filing fee for this process, and claimants who receive assistance from practicing attorneys will be represented free of charge.

The list of attorneys against whom claims must be filed within the first quarter includes: