How do you get a court appointed attorney?
• Review the charges against you. You can generally only receive a court appointed attorney if you’ve been charged with something that you may receive jail time for, though there are exceptions. For example, the court appoints an attorney for those who are mentally ill or developmentally disabled and for children, and it may appoint an attorney for those involved in child custody and child protection cases. • Gather your financial documents together, which will help you establish that you’re financially unable to hire a private attorney. • Tell the judge during your initial court hearing that you want to get a court appointed attorney. The judge will ask you to provide financial information under oath, often both verbally and in writing, to show that you don’t have the funds to hire your own lawyer. • Wait for the judge’s decision, which generally comes via mail. As long as you prove that you don’t have the financial means to hire a private attorney, the judge will usually approve a co
