(a) The judges of the Superior Court shall assess an annual fee in an amount adequate for the proper payment of claims, the provision of crisis intervention and referral assistance, and for making grants-in-aid for the purpose of funding the delivery of legal services to the poor under these rules and the costs of administering the client security fund. Such fee, which shall be $75, shall be paid by each attorney admitted to the practice of law in this state and each judge, judge trial referee, state referee, family support magistrate, family support referee and administrative law judge in this state. Notwithstanding the above, an attorney who is disbarred, retired, resigned, or serving on active duty with the armed forces of the United States for more than six months in such year shall be exempt from payment of the fee, and an attorney who does not engage in the practice of law as an occupation and receives less than $1000 in legal fees or other compensation for services involving the practice of law during the calendar year shall be obligated to pay one half of such fee. No attorney who is disbarred, retired or resigned shall be reinstated pursuant to Section 2-53 or 2-55 until such time as the attorney has paid the fee due for the year in which the attorney retired, resigned or was disbarred.
Section 2-70.—Client Security Fund Fee
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceSets the client security fund fee at $75 a year for Connecticut attorneys and covered judicial officers, spells out exemptions and half-fee cases, and ties unpaid fees to administrative suspension.
Full Text of Section 2-70
(b) An attorney or family support referee who fails to pay the client security fund fee in accordance with this section shall be administratively suspended from the practice of law in this state pursuant to Section 2-79 of these rules until such payment, along with a reinstatement fee of $75, has been made. An attorney or family support referee who is under suspension for another reason at the time he or she fails to pay the fee, shall be the subject of an additional suspension which shall continue until the fee and reinstatement fee are paid.
(c) A judge, judge trial referee, state referee, family support magistrate or administrative law judge who fails to pay the client security fund fee in accordance with this section shall be referred to the Judicial Review Council.
Amendment History
(Adopted June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended Nov. 17, 1999, on an interim basis pursuant to Section 1-9 (c), to take effect Jan. 1, 2000, and amendment adopted June 26, 2000, to take effect Jan. 1, 2001; amended June 21, 2004, to take effect July 13, 2004; amended May 3, 2005, to take effect May 17, 2005; amended June 20, 2005, to take effect Jan. 1, 2006; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013; amended June 23, 2017, to take effect Jan. 1, 2018.)
Plain-English Summary
This rule sets and enforces the annual fee that funds the client security fund. The judges of the Superior Court must assess a fee adequate to pay claims, provide crisis intervention and referral assistance, fund grants-in-aid for legal services to the poor, and cover the fund’s administrative costs. That fee is $75, and it applies to every attorney admitted to practice in Connecticut, as well as every judge, judge trial referee, state referee, family support magistrate, family support referee, and administrative law judge in the state.
Some attorneys are exempt: those who are disbarred, retired, resigned, or on active military duty for more than six months in a given year do not owe the fee. An attorney who does not practice law as an occupation and earns less than $1,000 in legal fees or other compensation for law-related services during the calendar year owes only half the fee. A disbarred, retired, or resigned attorney cannot be reinstated until paying the fee due for the year of their disbarment, retirement, or resignation.
An attorney or family support referee who fails to pay the fee faces administrative suspension from practice until they pay it, along with a $75 reinstatement fee. If someone is already suspended for another reason when they miss the fee, that triggers an additional suspension that continues until both the fee and reinstatement fee are paid. Judges, judge trial referees, state referees, family support magistrates, and administrative law judges who fail to pay are referred to the Judicial Review Council instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Connecticut client security fund fee?
The annual fee is $75, paid by every attorney admitted to practice in Connecticut and by covered judges, judge trial referees, state referees, family support magistrates, family support referees, and administrative law judges.
Who is exempt from the client security fund fee?
Attorneys who are disbarred, retired, resigned, or serving on active military duty for more than six months in that year are exempt from the fee.
Do low-income or non-practicing attorneys pay less?
Yes. An attorney who does not practice law as an occupation and earns less than $1,000 in legal fees or other law-related compensation during the year owes only half the fee.
What happens if an attorney does not pay the fee?
The attorney or family support referee is administratively suspended from practicing law until they pay the fee along with a $75 reinstatement fee; judges and similar officials who miss payment are referred to the Judicial Review Council instead.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 2-70). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: client security fund fee amountattorney annual registration fee Connecticut$75 attorney feesuspension for unpaid feefee exemption for retired attorney