Finding and hiring the right attorney is challenging, especially if you have limited income or no income. Please see the California State Bar Pamphlet on how to find and hire the right attorney:
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Pamphlets/HiringaLawyer.aspx
Here are some local family law resources:
LRIS
(925) 825-5700. The Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS). For $30, they will match you with one of their panel attorneys for a free ½ hour consultation. After you speak with the attorney, the attorney will tell you their rate. Each attorney decides their own rate and decides what the scope of service they will perform. See their website for more info: http://www.cccba.org/community/find-a-lawyer/index.php
Moderate Means Program
(925) 677-0234. The Moderate Means Program refers qualified individuals to its panel of family law and immigration attorneys. The attorneys agree to charge reduced hourly rates and a reduced retainer fee. For hourly rates, the attorneys are permitted to charge $50.00 – $100.00 per hour. For the retainer fee, they are allowed to charge $500.00 – $750.00. The initial 30-minute consultation is free. See their flyer for more info: http://www.cccba.org/flyer/MMP-4-25×7-FINAL.pdf
FLF
(925) 957-7866. Family Law Facilitator. They are located in Martinez and Richmond courthouses. They do not represent you and will not give you legal advice, but do help people every day with various family law matters. The Family Law Facilitator Program can help people who do not have attorneys to handle their divorce, child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, and paternity cases. If you come to the facilitator’s office in Martinez, you will be greeted by their friendly Help Desk staff. They will tell you how to get the help you need in the court that day.
They can help either party to:
• Prepare the paperwork to establish or modify child and/or spousal support orders;
• Prepare the paperwork to get or change child custody and visitation orders;
• Respond to divorce, custody, support, or paternity papers that have been
served on you;
• Run computer-generated child and spousal support calculations;
• Prepare Orders After Hearing and Wage Assignments;
• File a motion to establish paternity (identify the legal father).
• There are no appointments, but the Facilitator tries to see everyone as quickly as possible. Please bring all your court papers and proof of current income (tax forms, W-2, 1099, 3 recent pay stubs) with you.
See their website for more info: http://www.cc-courts.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=1780&parentID=1764
http://www.cc-courts.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=1811
BALA
Bay Area Legal Aid. (800) 551-5554. http://www.baylegal.org/
Legal Assistance Line: (510) 250-5270 or (925) 219-3325
Domestic Violence Prevention
BayLegal’s family law attorneys help people who are trying to get out of dangerous or abusive home situations. They assist domestic violence survivors in stopping the violence and creating safe and stable home environments. They provide legal help in the following areas:
• Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs)
• Divorce, legal separation or annulments
• Child or spousal support
• Custody and visitation orders
• Battered spouse waivers
• Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) enforcement
• Immigration issues faced by domestic violence survivors
• Training and community education
Please call their Legal Advice Line if you are trying to escape domestic violence and need legal help. If you leave a message, keep in mind they call back on a blocked number, do not leave a message and usually only call once. Please call 9-1-1 if you are experiencing an emergency.
Hours of Operation:
Monday – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday – 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday – 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (with additional hours on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for Domestic Violence survivors)
Thursday – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.