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• Family Law: Including, but not limited to, divorce, child support, child custody
• Evictions (residential)
• Name Change/Gender Change
• Emancipation
• Guardianship of the person
• Restraining Orders: Domestic Violence, Civil Harassment, Elder Abuse
• Small Claims: Limited hours and Workshop - see below
• Limited Civil (contract cases): Limited hours and Workshop - see below
• Limited Conservatorship 
• Probate Conservatorship: Workshop only - see below
• Provide community and legal resources

The Watsonville Law Center (WLC) provides free legal services to low-income individuals on California’s Central Coast. We believe that everyone benefits when the most vulnerable among us thrive, and that a holistic collaborative approach is most effective. We focus on legal problems with long-term impacts and solutions, such as workers’ rights, consumer rights, and access to employment. WLC serves low-income households up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. WLC does not exclude individuals based on immigration status. 

Employment Law: unpaid wages or unpaid overtime, paid less than minimum wage, not receiving rest and meal breaks, discrimination, harassment & retaliation.

Workers' Compensation: injured or made ill because of work, suffering from toxic exposure or working in unsafe conditions, struggling with access to Workers' Compensation system.

Access to Employment: improving criminal record, sealing juvenile record, improving credit.

Economic Justice: fraud in car purchases, repossession, towing or repairs, debt collection harassment, Identity theft, recovering credit and other consumer fraud and scams.

CONTACT US: CALL (831) 722-2845

EL Centro Legal de Watsonville (WLC) provee servicios legales gratuitos a las personas de bajos ingresos que viven en la costa central de California. Nosotros creemos que todos estamos mejor cuando lo más vulnerables prosperan, y que un planteamiento colaborativo e integral es lo más eficaz. Nos enfocamos en problemas legales que tienen impactos y soluciones a largo plazo, como, derechos para trabajadores, derechos de consumidor, y acceso al empleo.

CONTÁCTENOS: LLAME (831) 722-2845

• discharge upgrades
• veterans benefits
• expungement/record clearing
• landlord-tenant and eviction defense
• family law 
• estate planning 
• guardianships
• conservatorships
• bankruptcy
• non-profit assistance
• small business assistance
• legal clinics
• other services 

The forms to file a small claims case can be located on the court website under Online Forms by selecting the Judicial Council hyperlink. If you do not have access to a computer, you may either come directly to the clerk’s office to fill out the appropriate paperwork or have the paperwork mailed to you by sending in your request along with a self-addressed stamped envelope. Small Claims forms cannot be filed by fax.

Court clerks cannot provide legal advice. If you would like legal advice you can either contact the Ventura County District Attorney's Small Claims Advisor located in the Courthouse in Ventura by calling (805) 654-5054. You must be at least 18 years old to file a claim. If you are not yet 18, you may ask the court to appoint a guardian ad litem. This is a person who will act for you in the case. The guardian ad litem is usually a parent, a relative or an adult friend.You may also contact the the Ventura County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral and Information Service at (805) 650-7599.

Small claims mediation is also available. Mediation may be useful when parties have a relationship they want to preserve. So when family members, neighbors, or business partners have a dispute, mediation may be the most effective process to use. Mediations are low cost, and when necessary fees will be waived completely. You can mediate your case before or after a small claims case has been filed. If you mediate before filing a case and an agreement is reached at the mediation, there will be no need to file a small claims case. If a case has already been filed, the agreement reached at the mediation can be entered into the court record without having to appear in court. You may also have an opportunity to mediate your case on the day of the hearing at the courthouse.

Ventura County Legal Aid assists low-income clients that need to find an attorney.

Need a specialist to help find the right type of lawyer for your issue? Speak to one of our experienced Lawyer Referral Specialists . Ventura County Bar Association (VCBA) can assist you in finding a lawyer for your specific legal problem.

A referral specialist will determine if your issue is a legal matter and refer you to the appropriate attorney or offer community resources. Some referrals are free! There is an administrative referral fee of $35 payable up-front (credit card or money order) for some referrals. 

• Establish, modify or terminate a child support order
• Establish, modify or terminate spousal support
• Establish, modify or terminate health insurance order
• Determine arrears
• Establish repayment plans
• Seek reimbursement for overpayments
• Quash or modify wage assignment orders
• Provides information and prepares draft calculations of support amounts based on statutory guidelines
• Provides referrals to the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department, Family Court Services and other community agencies
• Educates and assists parties to prepare stipulations for parties who agree to child support, spousal support or health insurance
• Educates and assists parties to prepare answers to Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department complaints
• Educates and assists parties to prepare motions to set aside in cases involving the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department
• Educates and assists parties to prepare Orders After Hearing and Wage Assignment Orders in which child support, spousal support or health insurance are at issue in family law cases
• Mediates child support, spousal support and health insurance issues between the parties

The Legal Clinics at University of San Diego School of Law provide training to upper-level law students while providing needed legal services to the community. All Legal Clinic students are supervised by a practicing attorney. We will make appointments for qualifying individuals to meet for an intake with a law student, on a space available basis. We do NOT accommodate walk-in clients. You can reach us by calling (619) 260-7470.

USD Legal Clinics are funded by the University of San Diego and, in part, by grants from the State Bar of California and the U.S. Department of Treasury. Services are available to lower income individuals. Free legal assistance may be provided in these areas:

• Appellate-Handles the entire appeal from start to finish - brief to oral argument.  These cases are referred from the pro bono panel at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Civil-Includes consumer issues, breach of contract, uninsured motorist defense, fraud and consumer debt collection disputes.
• Education and Disability-Represents the parents of students with disabilities in cases ranging from IEP eligibility and services, placement, discipline and expulsions, 504 Plans, Early Start, Regional Center eligibility and services, and limited conservatorships.
• Entrepreneurship-Provides transactional legal services for clients in high technology business startups and other emerging growth companies. Assists with key legal services needed by entrepreneurs, including structuring the business entity, financing regulations, drafting of investment and employment agreements, and protection of intellectual property.
• Federal Tax-Represents lower-income taxpayers who have disputes with the Internal Revenue Service in matters such as collection action, audits, earned income tax credits and offers in compromise. Make appearances at U.S. Tax Court.
• Immigration-Offers assistance for immigration-related problems including immigrating family members, naturalization and deportation. Provides legal information, consultation and opportunity for representation in Deferred Actions.
• State Income Tax-The "Taxpayer Appeals Assistance Program" is a joint effort between the USD Legal Clinics and the California State Board of Equalization (BOE). Under supervision of an attorney from the BOE's Taxpayer Rights Advocate Office, students assist taxpayers with state income tax disputes against the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB).
• State Sales and Use Tax-This clinic is a joint effort between USD Legal Clinics and the California State Board of Equalization (BOE). Under the supervision of an attorney from the BOE's Taxpayers' Rights Advocate Office, students will represent clients who are appealing California Sales and Use Tax determinations.
• Veterans Clinic-Provides free legal assistance to veterans, limited to disputes with for-profit institutions over the use of GI Bill funds and predatory lending, discharge upgrades, and VA Disability Claims appeals. Legal services range from advice to identification of potential claims to representation of veterans in litigation, arbitration and before governmental review boards.
• Workers' Rights-Assists lower-income workers with a variety of employment law issues including employee rights, discrimination, medical leave, workplace safety, unpaid wages, unemployment benefits, harassment, and wrongful termination.