HOW CAN I FIND AN ATTORNEY?
To get in touch with an experienced attorney in the Solano County area, contact the Solano County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service at (707) 422-0127. For further information, visit Solano County Bar Association.
HOW CAN I OBTAIN LEGAL SERVICES IF I CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY?
Legal Services of Northern California:
- (800) 270-7252
- (707) 643-0054
You may also attend the "Lawyer at Your Library" Program sponsored by the Solano County Library. Here you can obtain free legal advice and take advantage of the referral service.
The service is generally offered the first and third Wednesday of each month from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
John F. Kennedy Library
505 Santa Clara Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
Please come to the library or call us at 1-866-572-7587 starting at 10:00 a.m. on the day of the program to reserve your appointment for that night.
Low-income individuals can visit LawHelpCA.org to get in touch with organizations that offer low-cost or free legal services. Information is also available for targeted communities, such as seniors and Native Americans, about issues particular to these communities.
HOW DO I FILE A CLAIM AGAINST THE CITY?
Claim forms are available here. A claim form can also be obtained from:
City Clerk's Office
3rd floor of City Hall
Once completed, the City Clerk's Office is the ONLY Department to which claims may be submitted. Claims must be filed within six months of the incident.
WHAT IF I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY NEIGHBOR OR A BUSINESS?
When people live in close proximity to one another, it's not unusual for disputes to arise over noise, parking, children's behavior, pets and conditions of property. It is also not uncommon to encounter landlord/tenant, consumer, and employer/employee disputes in today's society.
While such disputes often end up in court, the judicial system is not always designed to resolve such problems quickly, economically, or in a manner that seems satisfactory to both disputants. The Dispute Resolution Service may be your best resource. This is a community-based conflict resolution program, which the Solano County Bar Association/Dispute Resolution Service offers at little or no cost to Solano County residents and businesses.
For more information on the services provided by the Dispute Resolution Service, call (707) 442-5087, fax (707) 442-3860 or visit Solano County Bar Association.
WHAT IS SMALL CLAIMS COURT?
Small Claims Court is a special court that handles smaller disputes between individual parties. Disputes are resolved quickly and relatively inexpensively. In small claims court the rules are simplified and the hearing is informal. The person who files the claim is called the plaintiff. The person who the claim is filed against is called the defendant. While you may ask an attorney for advice before you go to small claims court, an attorney cannot represent you in the small claims court.
The plaintiff has the right to appeal an unfavorable defendant's claim, but has no right to appeal the small claims judgment. The defendant has a right to appeal. If the defendant files an appeal, an attorney at the hearing may represent each party.
A natural person (not a business or public entity) may file a claim for no more than or equal to $10,000.00, with a few exceptions. Small Claims Trials are heard at the Solano Justice Center. Courtroom changes daily.
Solano Justice Center
321 Tuolumne Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
Hours of Operation
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 2:00 p.m.
For more information on small claims, you may go to Solano County Courts.
LINKS TO LAW RELATED WEB SITES
For additional information about legal matters, please visit the external links below.