Law Society Orders Full Restitution

Former Fredericton lawyer Stephen Hill has been ordered to pay approximately $1.4 million after being disbarred by the Law Society of New Brunswick’s discipline committee. The order requires payment within one year of the decision date to cover client compensation costs, legal fees, investigation expenses, and custodial costs incurred by the law society.

According to Joleen Dable, the law society’s registrar of complaints and deputy executive director, the funds disbursed to Hill’s former clients represent the largest total payout from the organization’s compensation fund during her six years with the law society. The reimbursed clients included individuals who had entrusted Hill with hundreds of thousands of dollars to handle mortgage transactions. “There are significant amounts we’re talking about,” Dable noted. “One complainant was out $400,000, another one $300,000.”

Misconduct Findings and Adjournment Requests

The disbarment, which took effect Aug. 31 following a notice published last week, stems from a May decision where the committee found Hill guilty of 29 counts of professional misconduct. The infractions encompassed failing to fulfill client obligations, failing to answer law society inquiries regarding complaints in a timely manner, and misappropriating client funds. The law society had previously suspended Hill from practicing law in February 2025.

The disciplinary process faced multiple delays due to extension requests submitted by Hill. Law society documents indicate that an initial request pushed the original hearing date from November 2025 to March 2026. A secondary adjournment request submitted by Hill’s lawyer in March 2026—citing Hill’s five-day incarceration for civil contempt—was denied by the discipline committee. Proceeding with the hearing, the committee ruled that Hill admitted guilt by failing to meet the deadline to respond to the complaints.