No. The judge is required to treat you the same as an attorney, which means that you will receive no special treatment and will be expected to know the law. You will need to come to court prepared and have completed all the necessary paperwork correctly. While difficult, it is possible for you to acquire the knowledge and skills required to act as your own attorney. Start at the court’s website: www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/family. You may also go to the county law library, county clerk’s office or the county bar association for research and to obtain forms.     

You may seek assistance from the Family Law Facilitator’s Office   (www.lasuperiorcourt.org/familylaw/sup-facilitator.htm) located at most courthouses. Their services are free. However, they are usually only open during standard business hours and are not available on nights or weekends.   

If you have no funds with which to hire an attorney and satisfy strict income guidelines, you may seek assistance at certain public interest organizations such as a local Legal Aid office or the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law (www.hbcfl.org).

If you have limited funds and can afford to pay for some services, you may seek assistance from an attorney or organization that offers “limited scope representation” or “unbundling”, which allows you to hire an attorney to assist you with specific portions of your case while leaving other portions to you alone.  For example, you may just need an attorney to represent you at a hearing or to review a stipulated judgment or child support calculation. One such organization that may be able to help you is Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center (www.levitt-quinn.org).

If you really want to hire an attorney, look to other resources that may be used to pay for a lawyer’s retainer. For example, you could use a credit card, borrow from a retirement account, use a home equity line of credit, or borrow money from a supportive friend or relative.