Lawyers & Non-Lawyers Needed for Panel to Resolve Legal Fee Disputes

Published on February 16, 2022

Fee Arbitration Panels Are a Low-Cost Method to Resolve Legal Fee Disputes

The New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics is accepting applications from attorneys and the general public to serve on the District X Fee Arbitration Committee, which works to resolve fee disputes between clients and attorneys in Morris and Sussex counties.

The committee consists of attorneys and members of the public who are appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court to serve four-year terms.  Public members are particularly important to the committee because they bring an indispensable and invaluable perspective to the process.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey established the fee arbitration process as a low-cost and efficient method to resolve disputes in which litigants may believe their lawyers have charged unreasonable fees and have not been able to resolve the disagreement privately with the attorney.  District fee arbitration committees throughout New Jersey are maintained by volunteers, with the goal of resolving, through binding arbitration, attorney fee disputes.

Committee candidates should expect to spend approximately one day per month on fee arbitration matters.  Candidates are eligible to serve on the District X Fee Arbitration Committee if they reside or maintain an office in Morris or Sussex counties.  An appointed or elected county, state or federal officeholder and individuals presently employed as a state, county or federal prosecutor or employed by any law enforcement agency are not eligible to serve on the committee.

Since 1979, fee arbitration committees have been composed of both attorneys and public members who volunteer their time. Most fee arbitration cases are heard before panels of three members composed of two attorneys and one public member. The hearings are confidential and conducted in private.

If you are interested in serving on the District X Fee Arbitration Committee, please contact by April 16, 2022:

• District X Fee Arbitration Committee Vice Chair Alyssa M. Clemente, Esq. at: aclemente@lauferfamilylaw.com
• Secretary Patricia J. Cistaro, Esq. at: pjcistaro@cistarolaw.com.

If you have questions about serving on the Committee, please call Ms. Clemente at 973-285-1444 or Ms. Cistaro at 973-543-2007