I inadvertently did not pay my annual fee since I moved my address and didn’t receive notices. I am now on interim suspension. What do I do?

The first thing that has to be said is that it is really inexcusable to allow the law license to be placed on inactive status. Everyone should remember they have to pay their annual fee by July 1 of each year. That annual fee is normally $200. It’s a very small price for the privilege of practicing law. Those monies are important. Those monies go to pay for the cost of maintaining the Disciplinary Board and Judicial Conduct Board. Since these monies are paid by lawyers, this provides the independence needed by the legal profession. The judicial and attorney disciplinary system is not paid for by taxpayer’s monies, but by the annual fees of lawyers. Also, a portion of the annual fee goes to the client security fund to create monies to reimburse clients if lawyers have misused or embezzled or converted clients’ funds.