What Should I Do if an Attorney Tells Me They Cannot Take My Case? 

Here is what you should know if the attorney firm you call tell you that your case is too small for them to handle. First, ask questions about why they think it is too small because you need to know what you are dealing with when it comes to your case. It is always a good idea to get a second opinion. Here are some possible answers you might get:

• Your damages are too small for the attorney to get involved.
• Although you claim to be injured, the auto body damage is very minor to justify a claim.
• The party at fault does not have insurance.
• You are at fault and you got injured, but you do not have automobile insurance.
• Your case is a small claims case. You will need to represent yourself as attorneys are not allowed,
• The amount of money asked for in case compensation is not enough to cover attorney fees as well as your own compensation,
• The attorney firm you called is already booked to the brim with high-profile cases and they cannot take any other cases (also a polite way of saying “no” to you),
• You do not have money to outright hire an attorney to help and the attorney does not do Pro Bono work,
• Your case may be too weak to ensure success in the court system.

Small claims court deals only with cases where the parties involved, represent themselves. No attorneys are allowed. Whenever you plan to take on a case by yourself, you must spend time researching similar cases to see what the processes and outcomes were. The financial limitations for recovery is between $10,000 in a California Small Claims court, depending on the entities involved.

Setting Your Strategy

1. Write down all the facts of your case, such as a time outline, where who did what, and when,
2. Collect all your evidence and if there were any witnesses to an event in the case, then get signed statements from them and get them notarized,
3. Go to the closest law library and talk with a librarian who can show you where to look for the information you need to review for your case,
4. Make copious notes, scan journal and book pages with your smartphone (you’ll need an app for that), and search on the internet for legal information and cases,
5. Call a local law college to see if anyone might be interested in helping you. Speak to a law professor who might have a law student willing to help for free in exchange for extra credits and a case study write-up,
6. Know what is expected of you in a California court of law. California Rules of Court.

California has several free resources you can access at the following links:

• Self-Help Centers - https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-selfhelpcenters.htmFamily Law Facilitators - https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-facilitators.htm
• Small Claims Advisors - https://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-advisors.htm
• Pro Bono Opportunities Directory - https://www.calbar.ca.gov/Access-to-Justice/Pro-Bono
• Representing Yourself - https://www.courts.ca.gov/1076.htm?rdeLocaleAttr=en