My 'Sticky-Notes' for All of You...
We have a very big heart:
At Up With People Legal we are here to help provide information on different issues involving the Elderly and the Disabled. As we have no Attorneys here on staff, we provide no legal advice, and this website is not intended to provide any legal advice. We also may not update this website every day, therefore cannot guarantee anything on this website except our freedom of speech; our 1st Amendment right to speak about subjects we wish to speak about. As seen on our first page in this website, we have no Attorneys on staff, if you do need to find an Attorney, for convenience we provide the Contra Costa County Bar Association's telephone number: (925) 686-6900. Although we have different areas on our website with information pertaining to laws, you may wish to do your own independent research on what you're searching for. Thank you.
Mom's Dream:
My Mother, Barbie, had a dream for me; to live my life the way that I dream it to be. She saw the love I have for Law, resolution, and the dream to be a Judge one day; not a Lawyer, but a Judge. Okay, well you have to start somewhere; and although it may be a nice thing to be a Judge, it take years of being a Bar Certified Lawyer first.
Mom and I would be doing our daily duties; breakfast we'd be sitting & having our meal; watching t.v., talking about life; she loved to talk about the happy times: holding back the sad times. At the end of her life, her voice was gone; all but a whisper. We all must prepare for the day when our voice leaves us, as one day we might be where Barbie was; whatever she said when she could is all she had left in voice. Put on paper what your dreams, wishes, and insights of how you want to be, see, and act so people in years to come will understand more about your history.
Mom loved what I taught her of my "Notebooks". I bought Mom a few Notebooks to make daily notes, dreams, poems, and important things you'd normally write down on a sticky-note, then when the sticky is gone, so is the note. I learned this when I worked at Children's Hospital; we had computers but the back-up was always the "Composition Notebooks" with everything in them regarding different issues: a Notebook for each Issue. Composition Notebooks are the 'Sewn-In Page' notebooks and they're the best because the spiral notebook always gets a page loose here & there. Then when you have your Notebook, begin with when you make your first call of the day; keep a diary of your daily things; a phone call, I drove to the post office and mailed such & such letter to so & so, and take it from there. You will have your history for anyone to see once you've passed. Mom thought the Notebook was the best idea ever; only she used it once in awhile; not everyday. I wish now that she would have written in it everyday.
This page is there for you, as Mom loved my knowledge of life, law, love of life & everything else, I give this to you, the Pro Se who wants to do their own First Complaint: I give you a beginning to assist you in finding what you need to accomplish one of the biggest tasks in your legal beginning: these are my Sticky Notes for you.
This one's for you, Mom.
Pro-Se Corner© ~Links & Stuff:
Pro-Se Corner© is a place that you may visit if you need some pointers. These are some of the areas of "Law Basics" to read and study if you are filing your First Complaint. This is not legal advice, because I'm not a Lawyer, but I've been in Court against some of the biggest companies having the biggest Lawyers with all that knowledge; and I'm there taking on a big assignment; my 1st Complaint. This is what we have here is links, places you may visit further to get ahead of your law study for your own situation.
We've made it very easy for you with Legal Research. The way this Pro-Se Corner© works is that each Research Topic has at least one link that is visible that will take you to the Research Task. We have those Research Topics in separate paragraphs for simplicity. Next, we've made the link to that Research Topic in a different color as that's where you click to go to where you need to read and do what you need to do to get your First Complaint on it's way.
Forming your First Complaint
There's one reason why Lawyers get paid lots of money: it's lots of work! Please I urge you to read & study the Law as you need to for your First Complaint; it will make the Judge very happy. There's a few links I'd like to share with you all, but first remember that the internet plays a big part in assisting you with your every need. Yes, a Lawyer is a wonderful job to have; and the paycheck is great - then go to school, otherwise you have yourself and the internet if you choose to do it yourself. We also have Law Libraries that are available for a few hours a day. In Contra Costa County, the Frank Bray Law Library is absolutely top-notch with books, internet access for Lexis Nexis, and the best people in the business helping you find what you need, they're the Law Librarians, and I love them all. They helped me find different research items when I first began studying law in 1996, and they are there to help you as well.
If you are either low income, or maybe you make an income but just not enough to pay for the basics of the First Complaint & Complaint Filings, there's something called a "Fee Waiver" you may fill out & give to the Court. By filling this out, it tells the Court you need to utilize the 'Fee Waiver System' if you can't afford all the fees. This will get you on the way to your First Complaint plus all the other filings that come with it. A Fee Waiver is a wonderful tool that our Court System has in place to assist if you are at a lower income, or have reasons why the fees can't be paid. This helps you with getting your '1st Amendment' Rights heard'; your voice to hear forever ~ that's getting your First Complaint started.
Chapter One: Verified Complaints
When you file you Complaint, many times, depending on the Rules of Court both Local and State, your Complaint may need to be "Verified" ~ and that's real simple to do. Please pay close attention to details I give you, as the word "May" means lots of work in reading to see if your specific First Complaint 'Needs or Doesn't Need to be Verified' ~ you are in charge and no one else if you choose to file your case; remember that. First of all, here's the first link it's to your first link ~ just click Verification Form from California Courts. Next, you must read the entire set of laws & rules for Verifying a Complaint, here's just a few: Verification Rules & Laws.
Please remember the Clerks of the Court are not your law coach; they are at Court to stamp your papers, make sure you have the proper "Fasteners" attaching all your papers, and are in charge in making sure your complaint has it's "Legal Wings" to fly to the Judge for your first Hearing.
Links to State & Federal Courts
Here's a few links that may be of some assistance to you if you're filing a Complaint. Depending on what County you're filing your Complaint in, you must follow all the rules for that specific Court; for example let's say Contra Costa County. Click on the link here to take you to the Local Court Rules web page.
Judicial Council of California
One thing to remember, the Forms Link is good for all Counties in California. Unless your County has a specific form - which you will learn by reading their Local Rules for the specific County you're filing in, these California Judicial Council Forms may be utilized for a case. If there's any questions, please contact the Lawyer Referral Service and/or your local County Bar Association for an Attorney in your area to give you more assistance. Here's a little more about Our Judicial Council for the State of California: Wikipedia on the Judicial Council of California ~ Here's the YouTube Channel of the Judicial Council of California
Our Court Forms are Designed & Promulgated for California Courts
Judicial Council Forms - and your next question is probably going to be...what is the Judicial Council of California? The Judicial Council is the policy-making body of the California Courts, as we are the largest Court System in Our Nation. While practicing my reading, as you will find in Law there's lots of reading to do. These wonderful people at our Judicial Council have also, lots of reading to do. Judicial Council is the root of our Court System in California. The Judicial Council brings in uniformed policies, Court procedures, format of papers you will turn into Court, and keep guidelines for forms, judicial proceedings, pretrial documents, documents during at trial and so much more.
When speaking of the "Judicial Council Forms", on the lower left corner of the Forms, there's a little area where the stamp of the Judicial Council will be. They tell you if it's a "Mandatory" or "Optional" use form. However, you must pay attention to all the Rules of Court for California, as well as your Local Rules of Court to find out what 'Form' or 'Format' you need to use.
At the bottom of lets say a 'PLD-C-001' Complaint for Contract issue, this form is a Format from Our Judicial Council that allows you to fill-out online for ease. This PLD-C-001 is not a 'Mandatory Form', it's one that is 'Adopted by the Judicial Council of California' as an 'Optional Use Form', but it's here for you to use just in case you want to use the format that Our Judicial Council has prepared for Contract Complaints in California. Then you may use what I call the 'Long Format' and use something called 'Pleading Paper'.
If you choose to use the 'Pleading Paper', there's a format you must follow in Rule of Court for California Rule 2.111 -Format of First Page ~ Formatting the 1st Page of your 'Long Form Complaint, Motion, or Other Paper' must be exactly as the Court Rule of 2.111. Then your following pages must also have a specific format: Footer at the bottom should state the Name of the Paper you are filing, Case #, Case Name, Court Name like 'Civil Division', and always have the 'Numbered Lines' on the Left. But there's so much more to learn with just the format of paper when you choose not to use the Judicial Council Forms, or if you must use this format you have directions in the Court Rules, also check your Local Rules. Read everything to familiarize yourself with it all.
Links to Some of the Research Basics
One simple tool of research we all have available is our Computers. Although I have mountains of Law Books, some people don't have quite the collection that I do. Always remember that if you research anything in law, Google is a very great place to start. There are also Lawyers that put out pages on their own websites that at times if you have a question you may need a little help with, sometimes the internet will take you to different interesting information about your questions.
I've placed many research tools right here for you to take a look at. I always trust the information from our wonderful Superior Court of California websites. There you will find the forms you need, that are 'Fill-in Forms' online; just type your information in, make sure to correct any errors, print it up, and you're ready. Just be sure to check not only your State of California Rules of Court, Local Rules of Court-your County Specific Rules, and any other check system you will need to make sure you've done your best; just as a Lawyer must do things right, so must a Pro-Se/Pro-Per ~ Self-Representing Litigant.
Links to State & Federal Courts
Below is a few links that may be of some assistance to you if you're filing a Complaint. Depending on what County you're filing your Complaint in, you must follow all the rules for that specific Court; for example let's say Contra Costa County. Click on the link here to take you to the Local Court Rules web page.
Here's a few links to our Bar Associations in the Counties listed:
California Bar Association
Alameda County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service
Napa County Bar Association 'Find a Lawyer'
San Francisco County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service
Solano County Bar Associations Lawyer Referral Service
Sonoma County Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service
Superior Court of California ~ Click the Links:
State Court ~ Click 'Links' for your County
Link to Find your County's Superior Court
Contra Costa County Superior Court
Contra Costa Superior Court Website
California Superior Court Forms Page
Basics of Court Forms - A Self-Help Guide from Superior Court of California Website
Filing Papers in Court: Some of the Basics, but the Basics Must be Followed
Steps for Filing a Small Claims Case in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing a $25,000.00 Case or Less in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing an Unlimited $25,000.00 or More Case in California Superior Court
Rules of Court for Superior Court of California
Local Rules/Contra Costa County for Superior Court
To find your County's 'Local Rules', here's the Main Website for Superior Court of California
Sonoma County Superior Court
Sonoma County Superior Court Website
California Superior Court Forms Page
Basics of Court Forms - A Self-Help Guide from Superior Court of California Website
Filing Papers in Court: Some of the Basics, but the Basics Must be Followed
Steps for Filing a Small Claims Case in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing a $25,000.00 Case or Less in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing an Unlimited $25,000.00 or More Case in California Superior Court
Rules of Court for Superior Court of California
Sonoma County & California Self-Help Center - Many Topics of Law
Alameda County Superior Court
Alameda County Superior Court Website
California Superior Court Forms Page
Basics of Court Forms - A Self-Help Guide from Superior Court of California Website
Filing Papers in Court: Some of the Basics, but the Basics Must be Followed
Steps for Filing a Small Claims Case in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing a $25,000.00 Case or Less in California Superior Court
Steps for Filing an Unlimited $25,000.00 or More Case in California Superior Court
Rules of Court for Superior Court of California
Local Rules/Alameda County for Superior Court of California
To find your County's 'Local Rules', here's the Main Website for Superior Court of California
Researching the Law
Researching the Law - This is a Self-Help Guide direct from the Superior Court of California Website
Federal Court
Federal Court - United States District Court for the Northern District of California ~ Click the Links:
United States District Court for the Northern District of California ~Main Website
Local Rules for the Northern District of California, San Francisco (U.S.D.C.S.F.)
Pro Se Handbook for the Northern District of California (U.S.D.C.)
Basic Federal Court Complaint Packet:
This is a standard/basic, however you wish to call it, Complaint Packet. Remember, you must always review all rules of court before you turn any Complaint in to either Superior Court of California, or United Stated District Court. Again, this is for 'Federal Court', state court will have their own rules & laws for filing a Complaint. Click here to see some available choices for a 'Basic Complaint' ~ that's also a good basic styling for a Complaint. Complaints in Federal Court search engine inside the main website at the link below:
Federal Court - main website search engine
Service of your First Complaint
Service of your First Complaint must be completed within a certain length of time: it could be 30-days, 60-days, you must read this to learn what to do, but we gave you a good start. Remember one thing with filing a First Complaint: The Judge is not your Teacher, she's/he's your 'Decider'. You must do your work to bring your First Complaint into view so the Judge can see that you mean business; that you are serious with what you're bringing into Court. Service of your First Complaint has many different issues you must study before you get started. Here's one section for Serving your First Complaint
Legal Research at UWPL
...to be continued. This is a new page that will be completed in time. Thank you. :)
