• All Information will be kept strictly confidential and will not be provided to anyone other than the referred attorney.


• The attorney will provide a FREE brief consultation.


• The LRIS does not make referrals based on gender or to "specialists" or "experts." The LRIS attorneys are competent, experienced and trained to handle the area of law you request.


• The LRIS does not provide referrals to pro bono (free) attorneys.


• You may receive up to three referrals per case, one at a time. If the first referral does not work out, feel free to contact LRIS again for another referral. The LRIS will not provide a list.


• You should discuss legal fees during your consultation and obtain a written fee agreement if you hire the attorney.


• The LRIS representative will ask you to provide some basic information. This is for our information only. We need your name so we can let the attorney know to expect your call. We need your address so we may send you a client survey asking you to rate the quality of our service and that of the attorney. You will not receive any other mailings from us and your information is not given to any other organizations.

1. What is your education, work experience and area of specialty?


2. After explaining my case fully to you, how can you help me and what are the risks of successfully or unsuccessfully resolving my legal problem? (I understand there are no guarantees and you cannot make specific promises about any outcome.)


3. Is the solution I have in mind regarding my legal problem really necessary or are there other alternatives (such as mediation or collaborative law).


4. How many clients or cases have you handled, or what experience or knowledge do you have, involving a problem like mine?


5. How successful have you or others been handling a problem like mine (or am I fighting an uphill battle)?


6. How do you approach resolving conflicts with persons adverse to my position: what is your style that works?


7. Who will also be assisting in my case?


8. How will my case disrupt my personal life?


9. Do you honestly have time with your busy caseload to help me with my case and how long do you think my case will last?


10. What can I do to hold down or control costs or fees and what do you foresee would increase your estimate of how much my case would cost?


11. How and when will you notify me of the status of my case?


12. May I see your retainer fee agreement?

This should answer all your questions about what services your lawyer will offer, what the lawyer will charge for fees and costs, when and what is billed, how often you will be billed, whether your lawyer has malpractice insurance, whether the fee is refundable or not, late charges and interest on unpaid balances, termination of services and if your file will be returned to you without charge. If not, ask.

Need Emergency Assistance? Call us 24/7
Need emergency legal assistance for a criminal law, family law, or personal injury issue when our office is closed? The Orange County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service now has an After Hours Program. The After Hours Program provides emergency referrals in the areas of criminal law, family law, and personal injury law.

Here’s how it works:
Simply call the Lawyer Referral and Information Service at (949) 440-6747 or (877) 257-4762, leave a message with your name, phone number, and a brief description of your legal need, and one of the Service’s experienced and pre-screened attorneys will contact you at the number you provide.

LRIS screens each call to determine if the caller should be referred to an attorney. Only callers in need of legal assistance and able to pay an attorney are referred to LRIS panel members. Callers unable to afford attorneys’ fees are guided toward community pro bono services or to attorneys on the national award winning LRIS Modest Means program.

Through the Modest Means program, residents of Orange County who are unable to afford legal assistance, but do not meet the eligibility requirements of local pro bono services, are referred to attorneys who agree to assist them at substantially reduced rates. The Modest Mean program covers the areas of Bankruptcy, Consumer Law, Elder Law, Family Law, Housing (Landlord/Tenant) and Immigration. Clients must meet specific income guidelines to qualify. An LRIS Representative will do a brief screening by telephone. Attorneys may require you to complete a form and attach income verification to confirm eligibility.