For a small fee, you can schedule a short consultation with a private attorney by calling the Lawyer Referral Service at (209) 948-4620. Parties who prefer to mediate their disputes can call the Mediation Center at (209) 474-8794. If you cannot afford an attorney, or choose to represent yourself, you should know that in San Joaquin County:
When you are ready to file make sure to include 3 sets of copies plus filing fee or fee waiver if applicable and a self-addressed stamped envelope. If you need to know what the filing fees are you can contact the clerks’ office through the support link on the main page of the Courts website https://www.sjcourts.org/online-services/support/ or by phone between 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM & …
The phone number for the Lawyer Referral Service of The San Joaquin County Bar Association is (209) 948-4620. You may also go to the Self-Help Center located at 180 E Weber Ave, Stockton, CA 95202. Please refer to the Self-Help Center page for further information on services offered
A San Joaquin bankruptcy lawyer can counsel on whether you qualify for filing under Chapter 7 or whether you will be required to file Chapter 13. The lawyer will be able to make certain that everything is properly filed with the bankruptcy court and also provide the bankruptcy trustee with all of the documents that they require.
Court CalendarsDepartment 4A, 4B, and 5A CalendarsCourt begins promptly at 8:15AM in all courtrooms. The public is expected to dress appropriately...
Filing a Restraining OrderIf you are a domestic violence or elder abuse victim, you can file a request in Superior Court. The court provides packet...
A Findings and Order After Hearing will be provided to you only when the Judge orders it be prepared by court staff. The turn-around time will depe...
A message to the public from our Family Law Presiding Judge Robin Appel:Local Rule of Court 7-103 requires that parties meet and confer prior to me...
A – Turnaround time will depend on the type of document filed; however, typically an electronically filed document will be processed by the court within 24-48 hours. Proposed orders and other documents requiring further action by the court will require additional time for processing.
A – Documents that are exempt or not supported by eFiling can be submitted in the Clerk’s Office between the office hours of 8:00 A.M and 5:00 P.M. during regular operations or by mail. Documents may also be submitted by dropbox until further notice.
A – No, documents that are electronically filed and accepted by the court are uploaded to the Court’s case management system. This allows the court staff and judicial officers to electronically view the case documents without printing the document or maintaining a physical court file.
Be prepared to present your side to the judge or commissioner making the best use of your time. Talk about the most important things first. You should speak directly to the judge or commissioner when court is in session and your case is called. Do not direct your comments to or argue with the other party.
For information about a shelter or other community services available in San Joaquin County or proper procedures for a victim to follow after a sexual assault, you may contact the Women’s Center at (209) 941-2611, the Battered Women’s Crisis Line, (209) 465-4878, or the Sexual Assault Line (209) 464-4997.
Mediation is provided by the court. Mediation is free of charge to families who need assistance reaching an agreement regarding child custody and visitation. All matters scheduled for child custody or visitation, for the first time, are required to attend the mandatory mediation orientation.
Department of Child Support Services. The Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) is not a branch of the Court. The DCSS office is available to provide you with assistance in collecting support on an existing court order, to help establish an order for support, paternity and medical insurance issues.
The public is expected to dress appropriately when attending court. Shorts and tank-tops are not allowed in the courtrooms. Click here for the current Statewide Fee Schedule for Family Law related cases. The filing clerk will notifiy you of the filing fee at the time of filing.
Sexual assault by a person who is known to the victim, including sexual assault by a person who is the spouse of the victim, is a crime. Information regarding Elder Abuse Restraining Orders. Assistance for Elder Abuse restraining orders can be obtained at the Department of Aging.
The matters discussed in the courtroom are not appropriate for children and there is a lot of tension in the lobby that children need not witness. If you must bring children to the courthouse when filing papers, they must be supervised at all times. Proper attire must be worn in all courtrooms.
When a client fires a lawyer and asks for the file, the lawyer must promptly return it. In some states, such as California, the lawyer must return the file even if attorneys’ fees haven’t been paid in full. Lawyer incompetence. Lawyers must have the knowledge and experience to competently handle any case that they take on.
State Disciplinary Boards. Each state has a disciplinary board that enforces state ethics rules for lawyers. The board is usually an arm of the state’s supreme court and has authority to interpret ethics rules, investigate potential violations, conduct evidentiary hearings, and administer attorney discipline.
In most states, you can file your complaint by mailing in a state-issued complaint form or a letter with the lawyer's name and contact information, your contact information, a description of the problem, and copies of relevant documents. In some states, you may be able to lodge your complaint over the phone or online.
Lawyers are given a lot of responsibility and often deal with serious matters, from criminal charges to child custody to tax and other financial matters. When you hire a lawyer, you are trusting him or her to represent your interests in the best manner possible. To protect the public—and the integrity of the legal profession—each state has its own code of ethics that lawyers must follow. These are usually called the “rules of professional conduct.”
Lawyer incompetence. Lawyers must have the knowledge and experience to competently handle any case that they take on. They must also be sufficiently prepared to handle matters that come up in your case, from settlement negotiations to trial. Conflicts of interest.
issue a private reprimand (usually a letter sent to the lawyer) issue a public reprimand (usually published in the agency’s official reports and a local legal journal or newspaper ) suspend the lawyer (the lawyer cannot practice law for a specific time) disbar the lawyer (the lawyer loses his or her license to practice law), and/or.
If there's no evidence of a violation, the board will dismiss the case and notify you. If the violation is minor, a phone call or letter to the lawyer usually ends the matter.