§ Rule 1-7.3 Membership Fees
Rule 1-7.3. Membership Fees
(a) Membership Fees Requirement. On or before July 1 of each year, every member of The Florida Bar, except those members who have retired, resigned, been disbarred, or been classified as inactive members pursuant to rule 3-7.13, shall pay annual membership fees to The Florida Bar in the amount set by the budget, provided that the board of governors shall not fix the membership fees at more than $265 per annum. At the time of the payment of membership fees every member of The Florida Bar shall file with the executive director a statement setting forth any information that may be required by the board of governors.
(b) Prorated Membership Fees. Persons admitted to The Florida Bar subsequent to July 1 of any fiscal year shall pay the annual membership fees for that fiscal year prorated on the basis of the number of full calendar months of the fiscal year remaining at the time of their admission.
Failure to pay prorated membership fees shall result in the amount of such prorated membership fees being added to the next annual membership fees billing to the member without penalty. The combined prorated and annual membership fees payment must thereafter be received by The Florida Bar on or before August 15, unless the member elects to pay by installment under this rule.
(c) Installment Payment of Membership Fees. Members of The Florida Bar may elect to pay annual membership fees in 3 equal installments as follows:
(1) in the second and third year of their admission to The Florida Bar; or
(2) if the member is employed by a federal, state, or local government in a non-elected position that requires the individual to maintain membership in good standing within The Florida Bar.
A member's notice of election to pay membership fees in installments under this rule and the first installment payment thereunder must be postmarked no later than August 15. The second and third installment payments must be postmarked no later than November 1 and February 1, respectively.
Second and/or third installment payments postmarked after their respective due date(s) shall be subject to a one-time late charge of $50 per fiscal year, which shall accompany the final payment unless adjusted by the executive director with concurrence of the executive committee for good cause shown.
The executive director shall send written notice by registered or certified mail to the last official bar address of each member whose membership fees and late fees have not been paid under this rule by February 1. Upon failure to pay membership fees and any late charges under this rule by March 15, unless adjusted by the executive director with concurrence of the executive committee for good cause shown, the member shall be a delinquent member.
Each member who elects to pay annual membership fees in installments under this rule may be charged an additional administrative fee to defray the costs of this activity as set by the Board of Governors.
(d) Election of Inactive Membership. A member in good standing may elect by August 15 of a fiscal year to be classified as an inactive member. Such election shall be made only by indication of such choice on the annual membership fees statement and payment of the prescribed annual membership fees. Failure to make the initial election by August 15 shall constitute a waiver of the member's right to the election until the next fiscal year. Once a member has properly elected to be classified as an inactive member, such classification shall continue from fiscal year to fiscal year until such time as the member is reinstated as a member in good standing as elsewhere provided in these rules. The election of inactive status shall be subject to the restrictions and limitations elsewhere provided.
Membership fees for inactive members shall be set by the board of governors in an amount not to exceed $175 per annum.
(e) Late Payment of Membership Fees. Payment of annual membership fees must be postmarked no later than August 15. Membership fees payments postmarked after August 15 shall be accompanied by a late charge of $50 unless adjusted by the executive director with concurrence of the executive committee for good cause shown. The executive director shall send written notice by registered or certified mail to the last official bar address of each member whose membership fees have not been paid by August 15. Upon failure to pay membership fees and any late charges by September 30, unless adjusted by the executive director with concurrence of the executive committee for good cause shown, the member shall be a delinquent member.
(f) Membership Fees Exemption for Activated Reserve Members of the Armed Services. Members of The Florida Bar
engaged in reserve military service in the Armed Forces of the United States who are called to active duty for 30 days or more during the bar's fiscal year shall be exempt from the payment of membership fees required under this rule. For purposes of this rule, the Armed Forces of the United States includes the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, as well as the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard of the United States, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve. Requests for an exemption shall be made within 15 days before the date that membership fees are due each year or within 15 days of activation to duty of a reserve member. To the extent membership fees were paid despite qualifying for this exemption, such membership fee shall be reimbursed by The Florida Bar within 30 days of receipt of a member's request for exemption. Within 30 days of leaving active duty status, the member shall report to The Florida Bar that he or she is no longer on active duty status in the United States Armed Forces.