Legal
Do I Need an Attorney?
Can the Court Staff Help If I Don't Have an Attorney?
How Do I Find an Attorney?
What Do I Take to My Attorney?
What Do I Ask an Attorney?
What If I Have Problems With an Attorney?
Information on Restraining Orders
Divorce Workshop
How Do I Find an Attorney?
There are two ways to locate an attorney - legal aid or using a private attorney.
Legal Aid To determine if you qualify for free legal services. contact the following services.
- Legal Aid (Oceanside): (760)722-1935
- Volunteer Lawyer Program (619)235-5656
Private Attorneys
If you do not qualify for free legal services and need help in locating an attorney, you can contact the following Referral Service:
Many private attorneys will ask for a "retainer" in advance before they will take your case. A retainer is money paid in advance to an attorney for services to be performed in a specific case. However, if you don't have access to money to pay the retainer, but your abuser has financial resources, it is possible for your attorney to ask the judge to order your abuser to pay for your legal fees. Not every attorney is willing to do this, but it is an option worth exploring. If possible, be sure to bring proof of your abuser's financial resources to your initial meeting with an attorney if you plan to request that they seek their legal fees from your abuser.
The National Organization for Women provides legal information regarding employment rights for victims of domestic violence. Contact them at Employment Rights for Survivors of Abuse, c/o NOW Legal Defense Fund, 395 Hudson Street , New York , New York 10014 ; (212) 925-6635 or e-mail: ersa@nowldef.org . |
