A Legal Documents Assistant (“LDA”) is a non-lawyer who is authorized to assist in the creation of legal forms and documents. LDAs can be viewed in the Yellow Pages or online and fees vary. Note: Unlike a paralegal, LDAs do not operate under the supervision of a lawyer. LDAs must register with the Sonoma County Clerk`s Office of the Registrar. Buy legal self-help books (called Nolo Press books) at bookstores or on the Nolo Press website: www.nolo.com Salvation Army, Silvercrest Residence, 1050 3rd Street, Santa Rosa. Deposit at the clinic. Free legal advice for people aged 62 and over on Thursday evenings from 4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services: For assistance in obtaining a support order, collecting child support, and/or establishing paternity, contact the Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services. Toll free (888) 271-4214 or direct (707) 565-4000 Website: www.sonoma-county.org/dcss remote family legal aid may be available to you through the following organizations: Or search for services on their website at www.211sonoma.org Legal Aid also offers a referral program to legal services that helps clients with legal problems that may be a barrier to their employment. This includes assistance with criminal record expungement, driver`s licence recovery, traffic offences and special referrals to other legal aid services, legal workshops, legal clinics and community resources. To obtain a revocation, you must prove to the judge that you have a valid legal reason for the cancellation. Please visit the California Courts Self-Help Center website for information on the legal basis for a cancellation, cancellation request deadlines, and how a void may affect your rights and obligations to your minor children, financial support, property, and debts.
The services of the Office of the Family Law Facilitator are not confidential. There is no customer relationship between you and an employee. The services of the Office of the Family Law Facilitator are neutral. Staff can assist both parties with a case. You should consult your own lawyer if you want legal advice or a strategy, if you have a confidential conversation, or if you want to be represented by a lawyer in court. We help with civil law issues such as eviction, domestic violence, elder abuse, disaster relief and much more. Please visit the California Courts Self-Help website for a detailed explanation of the differences between divorce, legal separation, and annulment. If you are unsure which option is right for you, you should seek advice from a family law lawyer before starting your business. You can schedule a 30-minute consultation with an experienced attorney for a flat fee of $50 by calling the Sonoma County Bar Association`s Solicitor Placement Service at (707) 546-5297.
Private lawyers also offer consultations, and their prices vary. California Rural Legal Assistance provides free legal advice to low-income individuals. Help with landlord/tenant, employment, education. (707) 528-9941 There is no denying that hiring a lawyer is often an expensive undertaking. Too often, the cost of hiring a lawyer prevents many people from being able to help themselves and their families in the court system. However, in some cases, it is possible to obtain free legal aid, thanks to a common industry practice called “pro bono” work. If you have a registered lawyer, the Office of the Family Law Facilitator cannot help you. Staff at the Office of the Family Law Facilitator can provide you with legal assistance to help you represent yourself in family court proceedings.
No. If you are a party to a divorce or legal separation, California law requires that you prepare and serve an opening statement for the other party. Preliminary statements may not be waived even in cases where the parties have no income, assets or debts, in cases where neither party requests assistance and in cases where the parties have reached an agreement. Legal document assistants prepare legal forms for you, but cannot provide you with legal advice, explanations, opinions, or recommendations. They charge a fee for their services. You can find several of them under Legal Records Assistants in the yellow pages of the phone book. If you are considering waiving the other party`s opening statement, you should seek advice from a lawyer to determine whether it is in your best legal and financial interest. The other party`s preliminary statement could reveal important information about the assets in which you have an interest and/or liability for which you are responsible, and the decision to waive this information could have negative consequences. If the opposing party is located in a country other than Mexico, please seek legal advice from a lawyer on the specific requirements for service in that country. Please note that some foreign consulates have a legal department that can provide information about their country`s service requirements. If you think you have a legal problem but aren`t sure what type of attorney to turn to, we recommend contacting the Sonoma County Lawyer Referral Service first.
Be sure to mention if you are looking for a lawyer willing to work on your pro bono case. No. California is a “no-fault” state, meaning neither spouse has to prove that the other has done anything wrong or justify in court why they want a divorce or legal separation. Simply say that you and your spouse have “irreconcilable differences,” which is the legal way of saying that there are problems or problems between the two of you that can`t or won`t be resolved. While the American Bar Association (ABA) encourages all attorneys to provide at least fifty hours of pro bono legal services per year, this is not an actual legal requirement. Most state bars have their own pro bono requirements, which may or may not be identical to the ABA. Please visit the California Courts Self-Help website for an overview of the court case, a step-by-step guide to divorce, and information on a simplified divorce process called summary resolution. This website is written for people without a lawyer and provides a lot of useful information on legal issues such as custody and access, child support, spousal support, property, and debts.
For more information on divorce disclosures, see the “Where can I get forms and instructions for filing an immediate return” section and click on “Instructions for filing a return.” Yes. An annulment (or “nullity of marriage” or “nullity of civil partnership”) occurs when a judge declares that your marriage or civil partnership is not legally valid. After an annulment, it`s as if your marriage or domestic partnership never happened because it was never legal. The Sonoma County Legal Services Foundation provides legal services on a sliding scale based on an individual`s income.