If you think you have a legal problem, you should speak with an attorney as soon as possible to protect your rights. There are many ways to speak with an attorney. One way is by contacting your local bar association. They usually have an attorney referral service where for a nominal fee (usually around $30) they can provide you with a free 3o minute initial consultation with one of their panel attorneys. Concerning Contra Costa County, please see the following links for a more detailed explanation of the Lawyer Referral Service and How to Find and Attorney:
Contra Costa County Bar Association:
http://www.cccba.org/community/find-a-lawyer/index.php
California State Bar, “What Can a Lawyer Referral Service Do For Me?”: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Pamphlets/LawyerReferralService.aspx
California State Bar, “How Can I Find and Hire the Right Attorney”: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/Pamphlets/HiringaLawyer.aspx
Law Help California – Helping Californians find legal aid referrals & self-help resources.
http://www.lawhelpcalifornia.org/CA/index.cfm
California Courts Self-Help Center – Find assistance and information, work better with an attorney, and represent yourself in some legal matters.
http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/
NOLO – Legal Self-Help Book for non-Attorneys. Check them out at the library. Various areas of law such as bankruptcy, family law, small claims, etc. Some attorneys advertise on their website.
http://www.nolo.com/
California State Bar (Attorney Search) – The California State Bar is the regulatory agency for California attorneys. You can view their record at the CalBar website to see if they are licensed to practice in California’s State Court system, review their basic contact info, where they went to law school and the status of their license from the first year they were granted permission to practice law in California until present. Also see if they have had any disciplinary actions against them in this state.
http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Home.aspx
Local Workshops and Clinics for -
Conservatorship
Domestic Violence
Elder Law (senior citizens)
Family Law (divorce)
Guardianship
Housing Law (eviction)
Small Claims
General legal information
Contra Costa County Superior Court Website (workshops and clinics)
Contra Costa County Bar Association – Free Legal Workshops
We are committed to providing you with valuable information and services to help you understand our legal system, which is often confusing for many of us! There are free workshops here in the Bay Area that cover a variety of legal topics. Most of these topics cover legal issues that effect many of us at one time or another. Knowledge is power. Attend a free workshop.
Bankruptcy Workshop
Civil Litigation Pro Per Clinic
Conservatorship Workshop
Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic
Debtors’ Rights Clinic
Family Law Workshops
Family Law Facilitator’s Office Self-Help Workshops
Guardianship Workshops
Immigration Law Workshop
Lawyers in the Library
Powers of Attorney & Advance Health Care Directives Workshop
Senior Self-Help Clinic
Small Claims Court Workshop
Tenant’s Rights Clinic
Wills & Trusts Workshop
General Information & Tips
http://www.cccba.org/community/free-legal-workshops/index.php
———————————————–
In most cases, TLC can assist and direct you to agencies, workshops and websites where you might be able to get help with your legal matter. Contact us any time to discuss how people are getting assistance, especially how people with limited to no financial means are finding legal assistance, especially free. If hiring an attorney is unduly burdensome and you have moderate means, please also feel free to contact TLC for assistance. When you contact TLC, we will give you various referrals where you might be able to get help with your legal matter. If you are not successful, you would then call us back and we would discuss your referral attempts.
When contacting the referrals, keep a detailed record of:
1. The agency’s name and phone number
2. Whom you spoke with at the agency
3. Date you called the agency
4. Result of the attempts, ie. can the agency assist you and if not why; are you waiting to hear back from them, et cetera.
If you are not able to get assistance from the various referrals and you have discussed your attempts with our intake person, TLC may engage in further attempts to find you assistance some of which are:
- Adding you to our Pro Bono Opportunities List (PBO List). The PBO List consists of various civil matters of people that have been unsuccessful finding pro bono assistance. It is submitted to our Pro Bono Panel Attorneys for their consideration. The Panel Attorneys are simply regular attorneys that practice in and around Contra Costa County, believe in Pro Bono work and agree to receive our list. If they see a situation on the list and they are willing and able to speak with that person on a pro bono basis (for free), then they contact TLC and we would put the person in-need in touch with the pro bono Panel Attorney. The panel attorney’s services would/must be free of charge to you and they would tell you what they could do for you during your meeting with them. It could range from just speaking with you briefly one-time, to taking you on as their client and assisting you further. You would discuss scope and terms of the relationship with the Panel Attorney, but all the services would/must be free to you.
- Provide you with additional referrals and suggestions.
Please note: There is no guarantee that a Panel Attorney will offer to speak with you, so you should continue to look for assistance outside of TLC even if you are put on the List. We are not an emergency response organization and will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
If you are 65 years of age or older please see the following link: The Elder Law Center
You can always contact us for information about how we can assist you anytime.
Contra Costa County Bar Association – Free Legal Workshops
We are committed to providing you with valuable information and services to help you understand our legal system, which is often confusing for many of us! There are free workshops here in the Bay Area that cover a variety of legal topics. Most of these topics cover legal issues that effect many of us at one time or another. Knowledge is power. Attend a free workshop.
Bankruptcy Workshop
Civil Litigation Pro Per Clinic
Conservatorship Workshop
Domestic Violence Restraining Order Clinic
Debtors’ Rights Clinic
Family Law Workshops
Family Law Facilitator’s Office Self-Help Workshops
Guardianship Workshops
Immigration Law Workshop
Lawyers in the Library
Powers of Attorney & Advance Health Care Directives Workshop
Senior Self-Help Clinic
Small Claims Court Workshop
Tenant’s Rights Clinic
Wills & Trusts Workshop
General Information & Tips