Amended  August 6, 2007

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Contra Costa County Bar Association Moderate Means Program (MMP)  is to meet the overwhelming need for access to the justice system for moderate-income individuals where legal aid and pro bono assistance is not possible, and household resources are insufficient to pay prevailing hourly rates for legal services. The Moderate Means Program will meet this need by providing moderate-income individuals access to a panel of attorneys who besides providing a public service, will also have the opportunity to broaden their practice. The CCCBA Moderate Means Program is not a legal services agency it provides referrals only.

Moderate Means Application         Moderate Means Application pdf fillable form
Frequently Asked Questions

Si usted habla español puede bajarse la aplicación en su idioma desde aquí.

CLIENT ELIGIBILITY

1. The legal issue you are dealing with must be a Family Law case. The Moderate Means Panel only addresses family law matters.

2. The case must be in Contra Costa County.  The applicant does not have to reside in this county as long as the legal matter has jurisdiction in Contra Costa County.  

3. Applicants are not eligible if they have accessible assets in excess of $5,000 per family, excluding the family's principal residence.

4. If the client's assets exceed or fall below the guidelines, the client shall not be deemed eligible for a Moderate Means referral.

5. Moderate Means staff shall have the discretion to obtain, and the client shall be required to provide, documentation from the client relative to income or assets. If the applicant does not submit the required information within 30 days of the date that the application was received by the program, the case will be closed.

6. In order to be accepted into the program, applicants cannot qualify for Bay Area Legal Aid services or other low-income legal services.

7.  If your income level falls below the guidelines you have the option to have a co-signer for the application.  By co-signing on the application that person agrees to pay the attorney's fees if the client is unable to do so.  The cosigner is also required to provide all the supporting financial and personal documentation that is required from the applicant.

INCOME QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES:

1. The applicant's income (as verified by 6 weeks of pay stubs) must fall within the guidelines listed below to be considered for the Moderate Means Program*: 

LEVEL ONE

LEVEL TWO

Additional family members add $321 each.

* Child support received is not calculated in the monthly income range.
**The minimum qualifications under Level One are the maximum qualifications 
for Bay Area Legal Aid.

FEES 
Applicants shall pay a $40.00 non-refundable application processing fee to the CCCBA Moderate Means Panel. If you qualify and are accepted into the Moderate Means Program, you will  have an initial 30-minute consultation with the assigned attorney.  There is no charge to the client for this consultation.  

If the attorney accepts your case and you decide to hire the attorney, the Moderate Means Panel attorney has agreed to charge no more than the following fees for Level One and Lever Two Clients (Level One and Level Two are defined by income tables above):

Level One Clients
Hourly Fees:  $40-$80
Retainer Fee: $500-$650

Level Two Clients
Hourly Fees: $80-$125
Retainer Fee: $650-$800

If you do hire an attorney through the Moderate Means Program, you will be asked to pay a retainer up front.  You will also be responsible for any court fees and other direct costs, such as long-distance phone charges and photocopying expenses. Once scheduled for an appointment, applicants should discuss any rescheduling needs, follow-up appointments or billing matters directly with the attorney. The Moderate Means Program will not address these issues.

Please remember that Moderate Means is not a legal aid program. You must have sufficient resources to pay for any services you receive.  If you are unable to pay these fees or do not qualify for the Moderate Means Program, we recommend that you contact Bay Area Legal Aid at 1 (800) 551-5554.

If you meet the above qualifications call the Moderate Means Program at (925) 677-0234 to request an application or use this link to print the Moderate Means Application.

Frequently Asked Questions