The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court recently approved a request of the Board of Bar Overseers for increases in annual registration fees for attorneys, effective on September 1, 2006. This is the first time in eight years that the Board of Bar Overseers has sought an increase in lawyers’ annual registration fees. The last fee increase became effective on September 1, 1998.

           Registration fees cover the operating expenses of the Board of Bar Overseers and Office of Bar Counsel, the Clients’ Security Board, and Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers. The Board of Bar Overseers cited administrative costs, including funding for enhancement of the Attorney and Consumer Assistance Program, for creation of a new Law Office Management Assistance Program, and for increasing obligations of the Clients’ Security Board, as the major factors for the fee increases. The Clients’ Security Board reimburses clients who have sustained a financial loss caused by lawyer theft.

           The new registration fees for attorneys are, as follows:

          The order pertaining to Rule 4:03 may be found on the court's intranet site or accessed on the Internet at www.state.ma.us/courts/rule403.pdf.