Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

Dear Shari:

The Sonoma County courts have a small claims advisor, but I am not sure that they are qualified to help you collect a judgment.

Your local bookstore or library should have books that will provide you with some guidance. Be sure to obtain the most recent edition, as the forms change from time to time. Nolo Press is perhaps the most well known of publishers of self-help material.

California has a type of professional known as a legal document assistant that may be able to help you fill out the forms. However the assistant may not select the forms for you or provide you with any sort of legal advice.

Finally, you can hire an attorney to provide assistance on a limited-scope basis. In this case, the attorney can complete the forms and provide a certain amount of advice, but you would otherwise be "on your own." A newly-admitted attorney may be willing to help you at a relatively affordable cost, just to gain some experience. I represent people on a limited scope basis on occasion, and it is becoming a more popular form of representation.

I also would be happy to speak with you for a few minutes about this at a mutually convenient time.

Best of luck to you.

I suggest the small claims advisor. They are usually supervised by an attorney, and are provided by the courts for this purpose.