I need a lawyer to help me in a civil case (like divorce, landlord/tenant dispute, debt payment, bankruptcy, child custody, personal injury action). Does the Public Defender handle that type of case?

In general, the Public Defender only represents persons subject to criminal prosecution, civil commitment, or contempt citation. The Public Defender's Office also represents individuals charged in criminal cases resulting from non-payment of child support, or those who are threatened with contempt because of an alleged violation of a civil court order for them to pay child support. Our office also represents those individuals who have been detained civilly because of the Sexually Violent Predator Law. In all other cases, the Public Defender does not represent individuals in civil cases, nor can our Office recommend any particular attorney or law firm. The State Bar of California provides a certified lawyer referral service. The State Bar is located at 1149 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015-2299, 213-765-1000, and at 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105-1639, 415-538-2000. The State Bar's web site is located at http://www.calbar.org. The telephone book's Yellow Pages often ... more