Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection Announces Fourth-Quarter Filing Deadlines

Claims against four disciplined attorneys must be submitted before the listed dates.

The Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection (“the Fund”) has announced that any individual intending to file a claim against the attorneys named below must submit their claim before the corresponding deadlines. The Fund exists to protect clients from dishonest practices by a small minority of lawyers, ensuring that the wrongdoing of a few does not undermine the integrity of New Jersey’s legal profession.

The Fund’s mandate is to provide reimbursement to clients who have been victims of lawyer dishonesty—not negligence. To be considered eligible, each of the following conditions must be met:

• The attorney, at the time of the alleged misconduct, was a member of the New Jersey bar or acting as an attorney or fiduciary.
• Unless deceased, the attorney must have been disbarred, suspended, or placed on disability inactive status by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, or convicted of embezzlement or other misappropriation of property.
• The conduct giving rise to the claim must involve dishonest actions, not just poor service or malpractice.

Filing Deadlines

The official disciplinary action against an attorney triggers the Fund’s jurisdiction, and potential claimants have one year from that action to file their claims. Below are the attorneys for whom the Fund has established the following deadlines:

Note: Discipline may be based on conduct unrelated to misappropriation, and an attorney’s disbarment or suspension does not automatically guarantee compensation to a specific claimant. All claims are independently reviewed by the Fund to verify whether dishonest conduct caused the alleged loss.

• Individual Claim Limit: Up to $400,000 per claimant.
• Aggregate Limit: Up to $1.5 million against any single attorney, although the Supreme Court may allow the Fund to exceed this cap in special circumstances.

How to File

Claimants must complete and notarize the official Fund claim form, which is available:

• Online at the New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection website
• By Writing:
  New Jersey Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection
  Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
  P.O. Box 961
  Trenton, NJ 08625-0961
• By Phone: 855-533-FUND (3863)

Attach copies of proof showing the transaction(s) that underlie your claim. There is no filing fee, and if a practicing New Jersey attorney assists you in preparing the claim, their help is provided free of charge.

Established to reimburse victims of attorney dishonesty, the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection underscores the profession’s commitment to maintaining public trust. By publishing clear filing deadlines and guidelines, the Fund aims to ensure that clients who have suffered from dishonest conduct can seek timely relief and accountability.