Are you having trouble communicating with your lawyer?
Is your lawyer not returning your calls or getting you requested documents?
Do you feel that your lawyer is not doing what you asked?
Our Client Relations Committee can help you communicate with your lawyer about issues that do not involve fee disputes. This service is free to you if the attorney involved practices law in Contra Costa County.
Steps to filing your client request for assistance
No fee is charged to file a Client Request for Assistance, and you do not need to make a personal appearance. However, you must file a Client Request for Assistance by mail. No phone calls will be taken regarding complaints.
Download this form and fill it out completely.
Then mail your request and any relevant attachments to:
Contra Costa County Bar Association
Attn: Client Relations Committee
2300 Clayton Road, Suite 520
Concord CA 94520
What happens next?
Once the committee receives your Client Request for Assistance by mail, they’ll review it within one week.
The committee may decide to do any one of the following:
- Contact your attorney and discuss your client request for assistance
- Request that he or she contact you regarding your issues
- Suggest alternatives for handling your client request for assistance
- It takes time for the committee to review your Client Request for Assistance and respond appropriately. You will hear what the committee has recommended or done within a month, but often sooner.
What the committee cannot do
There are certain things our committee cannot do, as determined by law. The committee cannot do any of the following:
- Act as your attorney or otherwise represent you
- Give you legal advice regarding the substance of your case
- Discipline your attorney or force him or her to do anything
- Recover any money for you or retrieve any property
- Stop or suspend any of your ongoing court proceedings
Please remember: what the committee recommends, or its opinion on your client request for assistance, is not enforceable by law.
The State Bar of California
Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program
CCCBA does not provide a fee arbitration program.
For assistance, please call the State Bar MFA at 415-538-2020.