The majority of San Diego families with children who need special education services and support never need a special education attorney in San Diego at their side. However, there are situations when you are simply not sure whether you can produce results on your own or whether you need a legal professional to secure all the appropriate educational services for your child.
Circumstances that may call for a special education attorney in San Diego
Here are some situations in which it’s possible you need an attorney:
- Your case involves complicated placement and services issues.
- You or the district believe that the child should be placed out of district.
- There has been a change in placement.
- You are not sure about the strength of your case.
- The district has an attorney to handle your case, so you may need one as well to level the playing field.
- You (or the school district) are thinking of filing for a due process hearing.
- You have been given a settlement agreement to sign in exchange for services or money.
- There have been serious disciplinary issues, possibly even a Manifestation Determination.
- Services in your child’s IEP have not been delivered, despite your ongoing efforts to get them.
Examples of violations of your and your child’s rights
- Parent’s request for assessment of possible need for special education services has been refused.
- The child hasn’t been assessed in all suspected areas of disability.
- Parents were not informed about their procedural rights.
- Reports from privately retained experts have been ignored.
- Parents have been prevented from fully participating in the IEP.
- Measurable goals have not been included in the IEP.
- Necessary services have been denied for lack of resources.
- The child has been suspended or expelled for behavior that is a manifestation of their disability.
Maybe you don’t need an attorney, but an advocate
It is possible that you don’t need the help of an attorney, but rather an advocate to help you secure the necessary services. Feel free to reach out to Pacific Coast Advocates at 619-255-5532 or email us at christy@pacificcoastadvocates.com to find out your best course of action.
We need an attorney, but we can’t afford one
Hiring an attorney can prove expensive, but in your case it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing situation. If you don’t have enough means to hire a special education attorney in San Diego for full representation, it is typically possible to retain their services for certain tasks only. There could also be non-profit organizations offering some legal help, or legal clinics at law schools that provide some services at little or no cost.
While some attorneys charge hourly, there are some that have packages. In any case, most attorneys do provide free consultations, which you can use to inquire about their services and fees, as well as to find out whether they think you really need legal representation in the first place.
If you are looking for a special education attorney in San Diego, PCA may be able to help
Pacific Coast Advocates are a unique team of special education advocates in San Diego. Whereas we are not legal professionals, we are experts in special education services and have built positive relationships with a few special education attorneys in San Diego during our work. Here is a list of attorneys that we have referred clients to, in no special order:
Meagan Nunez: https://www.sdspecialattorney.com
Seth Schwartz: https://brightsidelawgroup.com
Jazmine Gelfand: https://specialedlegalcare.com
Margaret Adams:
Thomas S. Nelson: http://www.specialedlaw.us
We always hope to help. Stay in touch!