No, there are no additional fees or interest for choosing the installment payment option. If you opt for an installment plan of four or less payments, your monthly installments will be of equal value. If you opt for an installment plan of five or more payments, the first installment will be 25% of the settled value and subsequent installments will be of equal value.

The entire settlement must be paid by December 31, 2025. No exceptions. If you do not pay the new settlement amount by December 31, 2025, the Settlement Agreement will be terminated. You will owe the original amount of the debt (less what you have paid) and the State Bar reserves all rights to pursue, or continue to pursue, all available legal remedies to recover the total owed debt, including without limitation reporting the debt to FTB, credit reporting agencies, entry of a Superior Court money judgment and/or pursuing legal actions.

Upon completion of your Fresh Start settlement payment, please allow two weeks for your billing record to be updated. This applies to nondisbarred and nonresigned attorneys only. Disbarred and resigned attorneys do not have active billing records.

When you sign the Settlement Agreement, the State Bar will recall your debt from FTB within two weeks. Any payments already in transit from FTB to the State Bar at that time belong to the State Bar and will not be refunded to you.

Settlements made through the Fresh Start Settlement Program will supersede any existing installment order from State Bar Court.

We strongly encourage online payment via credit card or ACH. All credit cards are accepted. Click on the link on the Fresh Start Settlement Program website to pay through Wells Fargo. 

If for some reason you are unable to pay online, we also accept mailed check payments made payable to State Bar of California, mailed to: 

State Bar of California 

Attn: Collections 

180 Howard St San Francisco, CA 94105 

Your check must include your State Bar Number in the memo line. Please do not mail a check until you have signed the settlement agreement. Please include a signed copy of your settlement agreement with your check.

No, the State Bar is covering all transaction fees.

The State Bar is authorized to participate in the FTB tax intercept program pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 6034. Section 6304 provides that the State Bar is authorized to participate in this program for the “collection of any unpaid amount owed to the State Bar of California, including any fine, penalty, assessment, cost, or reimbursement imposed under sections 6806.10, 6140.5c, and any other applicable law.”

• Under this program, FTB collects money from tax, refunds, lottery winnings, or unclaimed property. Additional information can be found on the FTB’s webpage about the interagency intercept program.

The State Bar is also authorized to participate in the FTB Court Ordered Debt program pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 19280 (as revised in January 2019). Revenue and Taxation Code section 19280 provides that the State Bar is authorized to participate in this program for “any amounts due pursuant to Section 6086.10 or 6140.5 of the Business and Professions Code.”

• Under this program, FTB collects money from sources such as wage garnishment and bank levies. Additional information can be found on the FTB’s webpage about the Court Ordered Debt program.

Business and Professions Code section 6140.5 authorizes the State Bar to collect interest on CSF payments due. The interest rate is approved annually by the Board of Trustees (CSF Rule 3.45), and has been set at 10 percent per year, calculated from the date of disbursement. Judgments with underlying CSF debt also accrue interest on the CSF payments at the same rate.

Yes, upon receipt of the full settlement amount, within two weeks the State Bar will file appropriate documentation to satisfy the judgment and remove any property liens.