Bench & Bar January/February 2025

Kentucky Clients’ Security Fund

CSF Payments in Fiscal Year 2023-2024

The Kentucky Clients’ Security Fund (CSF) was established by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Rule 3.820) to be administered by the Kentucky Bar Association. It is funded by the Bar dues of the lawyers of Kentucky to reimburse clients for losses caused by their attorney’s dishonest conduct, defined as the wrongful taking of clients’ money or other property or failure or inability to return unearned fees. The amount of $7.00 per lawyer, $6.00 per member of the judiciary, is allocated from member dues by the Kentucky Supreme Court for this Fund. The CSF does not consider losses resulting from negligence, nor does it consider consequential dam ages. There are caps on recovery. In the fiscal years 2005-2006 through 2023-2024 the CSF has paid $2,755,930.46 to victims.

ATTYS WHOSE CLIENTS SUFFERED Belcher, Timothy D. Clooney, Andrew N. Null, Richard Davis Schmidt, John A.

TOTAL PAID

# OF CLIENTS REIMBURSED

$44,096.00 $75,867.50 $1,000.00 $17,876.52 $14,000.00 $10,025.00 $50,000.00 $226,316.03

1 1 1 4 2 1 7

Walter, Matthew (Deceased) Shields, Gregory (Deceased)

10

Weiner, Eric

Whitaker, Larry (Deceased)

$439,181.05

27

The CSF provides a last-resort avenue for client victims who are unable to get reimbursement for their losses from the responsible lawyer, or from insurance or other sources. There is no charge to the client for this process. The Rule prohibits lawyers from being compensated for assis tance in a claim. Claims are reviewed by a Board of Trust ees appointed by the Board of Governors of the Kentucky Bar Association. These five (5) Trustees consist of three lawyers and two lay members who perform their duties as a public service and receive no compensation.

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