10 Resources You Should Know About in Your Paternity, Legal Separation or Divorce in San Diego in 2014

The purpose of this article is to provide multiple resources for parents and spouses who are involved in a family law case for a divorce, legal separation or paternity. This article is a very good resource to start gathering and obtaining accurate information so that you can make informed and intelligent decisions about what many consider to be the most important of their lives. Having said this, it is always advisable to consult individually and in confidence with a licensed and qualified family law attorney. As such, some California Bar Certified Referral Services are listed below.

SAN DIEGO SUPERIOR COURT WEBSITE

One of the best resources, in 2014, for San Diego parents or spouses involved in a divorce, paternity or legal separation, is the San Diego Superior Court Website. This website has been updated for 2014 and continues to be a resource used by many viewers per day. The website is, in fact, updated frequently during each week for the court calendar [among others]. The website has information for forms and much more. The link is below.

http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/

FAMILY LAW FACILITATOR

Another resource in San Diego for litigants in a family law case whether legal separation, paternity or divorce, is the Family Law Facilitator. The advantage is that there is no cost to use this service and it is a San Diego County Agency. The Facilitators can help assist you with the filling out of pleadings and filings. The disadvantage can be the requirements to obtain the Facilitator’s services which may include getting to the court house very early and waiting for many hours. In addition, the Facilitator cannot represent any parties in Court. For cases in which the parties have less complex issues, this is an alternative. You can obtain information on line by using the San Diego Superior Court Website as above.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION: LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE

Another resource, for consultations and referrals to family law attorneys [and other practice areas as well] in San Diego County, is done by the San Diego County Bar Association which has a lawyer referral service. These are attorneys which qualify for membership under their rules and regulations and the service is certified by the California State Bar. This is a very good way to obtain information and to find a qualified attorney. Their main website link is below and one of their benefits is that the attorneys offer a free 30 minute virtual consultation.

http://www.sdcba.org/

NORTH COUNTY SAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION: LAWYER REFERRAL SERVICE

There is a similar resource in North San Diego County for attorneys for family law. This is also certified by the California State Bar and provides the services that the above Association does as well but concentrates on north county attorneys. This would include Vista, Escondido, San Marcos, Oceanside, Encinitas and others in the north county of San Diego. The link to their website is listed below and, as with the main San Diego Association, they will refer you to a qualified attorney who will offer a 30 minute free in-person or virtual consultation.

http://www.lawreferral.org/ATTORNEY REFERRAL SERVICEThe Attorney Referral Service is also certified by the California State Bar but is a private company and not associated with the San Diego County Bar Association. They have been in business since 1979 according to their website. They can refer to attorneys who will give a free 30 minute virtual consultation and their link is below.

http://www.lawyerreferral.com/

ATTORNEY SEARCH NETWORK

The Attorney Search Network is another California State Bar certified referral service for family law [and other] attorneys. They have also been in business for several years and, as with the ones above, will refer to a qualified attorney who will offer a complimentary virtual consultation for 30 minutes. Their link is below.

http://www.getareferral.com/

1000 ATTORNEYS

The 1000Attorneys referral service is also bar certified. They have the same requirements and benefits of the above private bar certified referral services.

http://www.1000attorneys.com/

SAN DIEGO DEPARTMENT OF CHILD AND SOCIAL SERVICES

If your issue involves child support, then another resource can be the San Diego DCSS. It can be very confusing since the San Diego DCSS court has exclusive jurisdiction over child support once initiated. As such, your family law case for custody, visitation, spousal support, division of asset and division of debt may be in one of the five family law courts in San Diego {two downtown and one each in East County, South County and North County} while your child support is being heard at the SD DCSS court at 220 West Broadway. The SD DCSS is a free service and will help with the following: establish paternity; establish child and medical support orders; enforce and/or modify child and medical support orders and collect and distribute child and spousal support payments. Their website is below.

http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/dcss/

INTERNET FOR RESEARCH

As we all know, google is the best when it comes to information. Below is their website and you can enter any key search terms and then research. A great resource to be sure. You can use terms including the following: custody; visitation; child support; spousal support; division of assets; division of debts and all others for your particular case. The link is below.

http://www.google.com/

SAN DIEGO COUNTY PUBLIC LAW LIBRARY

According to their website, they have been assisting the general public since 1891. There are several branches in San Diego County and this is an excellent resource. Their link is below.

http://sandiegolawlibrary.org/

HOW A LAW FIRM CAN HELP

The law firm of Doppelt and Forney, APLC is local in San Diego and available to assist you with your pending family law case. As with the bar certified referral services [County or Non County], we offer a complimentary and confidential consultation in which your individual case can be discussed. Please call today to set your appointment.