File a Lawyer Referral Service Complaint

Many people looking for an attorney use a State Bar-certified Lawyer Referral Service to find one.

Under California state law, a Lawyer Referral Service must be certified by the State Bar and must comply with minimum standards, including a requirement that all lawyers referred possess malpractice insurance. If a certified Lawyer Referral Service fails to comply with the State Bar’s minimum standards, it may be investigated by the State Bar.

When an agency fails to deliver a referral or other services you need, you can file a complaint. The State Bar will review your complaint to determine if the Lawyer Referral Service has violated Business and Professions Code section 6155 and State Bar Rules. If we find that the service has violated applicable rules or regulations, the State Bar may take appropriate regulatory action.

If you use a certified Lawyer Referral Service

Here are examples of situations in which you may want to file a complaint:

  • The Lawyer Referral Service promises to find a bilingual attorney who speaks your language, but the attorney they found doesn’t.
  • The referral was to an attorney whose practice area was different than the one you requested.
  • You did not get an initial consultation with an attorney to whom you were referred, even though you were promised one.

In many cases, the Lawyer Referral Service will try to resolve your problem by offering another referral. But if you still want to file a complaint against the Lawyer Referral Service, the State Bar can help you.

File a Lawyer Referral Service complaint

What if the service is not certified by the State Bar?

If a business promotes their services to you, check first that they are certified. Under California law, the State Bar has enforcement authority over all lawyer referral activity in California. To protect the public, the agency will investigate and take action against uncertified Lawyer Referral Services.

We welcome information about uncertified lawyer referral activity in California from any concerned person, group, or organization. You do not have to do business with the service to file a complaint.

If you file a complaint against an uncertified Lawyer Referral Service, we will review it to determine if an investigation is warranted. If so, and an investigation reveals that the business is providing uncertified lawyer referrals, the State Bar will consider all available legal remedies.

File an uncertified Lawyer Referral Service complaint

If you have a grievance against an individual attorney and not against the service or business that referred you to the attorney, you can file an attorney misconduct complaint with the State Bar.

Additional information

For consumers

For providers