Attorney defense

Fee Arbitration & Ethics Defense for New Jersey Attorneys

Seventeen years administering New Jersey’s fee arbitration system, now in service of the attorneys who appear in it. With his Supreme Court appointment as a district fee arbitration secretary complete, Albert M. Afonso represents attorneys in fee arbitration and in the defense of ethics grievances, with confidential consultations available throughout New Jersey.

Seventeen Years Inside the Fee Arbitration System

Appointed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, Albert served as secretary of the District IIIB Fee Arbitration Committee, covering Burlington County, from January 5, 2009 until 2026. Under Rule 1:20A the district secretary administers the fee arbitration caseload: docketing client requests, reviewing jurisdiction, assembling hearing panels and moving each dispute from filing through determination. Seventeen years of that work is seventeen years of seeing which fee agreements, billing records and client files hold up in front of a panel, and which do not.

Albert’s prior committee service and the certificate above are stated as biographical fact. They do not imply any special influence with the Office of Attorney Ethics, any fee arbitration or ethics committee, or the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Fee Arbitration Representation

• Representation of respondent attorneys in Rule 1:20A fee arbitration, statewide
• Pre-hearing assessment of the fee agreement, billing records and file
• Attorney fee responses and position statements
• Hearing preparation and representation before district panels
• Appeals to the Disciplinary Review Board on the limited grounds the rules allow
• Advice on the ethics exposure a fee file can create, before it does
• Engagement letter and billing practice reviews that prevent the next dispute

Ethics Grievance Defense

• Responses to grievances before district ethics committees
• Representation in Office of Attorney Ethics investigations
• Defense of formal disciplinary complaints and hearings
• Trust account, recordkeeping and random audit issues
• Diversion and admonition matters

A Confidential $500 Initial Review

The first step is a flat-fee review. For $500, Albert reviews the grievance or the fee arbitration request together with your fee agreement and file, maps every deadline, and gives you a candid assessment of the exposure and your options. The review is available at the office, by phone or by video, and what you share is protected by the attorney-client privilege, the same as for any other client.

The Clock Matters

Fee arbitration responses and grievance answers run on short deadlines, and a late or careless response can turn a manageable dispute into a larger one. If a letter from a district secretary, a committee investigator or the Office of Attorney Ethics has arrived, the useful time to call is now.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. This page is general information about New Jersey law and is not legal advice about your situation.

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