Santa Maria, CA Consumer Law
Santa Barbara County Unemployment Offices
Learn about the self-help resources available to you at the Santa Barbara County Job Centers.
Santa Barbara County Probate Court
Learn about the self-help resources available to you at the Santa Barbara County Probate Court.
Santa Barbara County Family Court
Learn about the child custody resources available to you at the Santa Barbara County Family Court.
Santa Barbara County Elected Officials
Who's the County Sherriff in Santa Barbara County? Find that, and much more about Santa Barbara County Government, on our Santa Barbara County Elected Officials page.
Santa Barbara County Minimum Wage
Learn about minimum wage and how to make a wage claim in Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara County AI Legal Research
Learn how to use AI for legal research in Santa Barbara County.
What We Cover
Bankruptcy & Debt
- Means Test Calculator for Santa Barbara County: Our Bankruptcy Means Test Calculator has served over 3 million users since 2006! It's been updated to work with bankruptcies filed on or after May 15, 2023.
- California Bankruptcy Exemptions: Detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under California law and Federal law, and whether you can use the Federal exemptions in California.
- California Bankruptcy Court Info: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court
- Free Bankruptcy Forms: We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.
Inheritance Law & Probate
- Probate Court for Santa Barbara County: Key information about your local probate court for Santa Barbara County.
- How Probate Works in California: How to handle the probate of inheritance at Santa Barbara County's probate court.
- Small Estates Procedures in California: Learn how to use California's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.
- California Estate Taxes: Most states do not collect estate taxes or inheritance taxes. Learn if California does.
Unemployment Benefits
- Benefit Amounts in California: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
- Eligibility: Whether you qualify for unemployment.
- How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in California.
- Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.
- COVID-19 Benefits: We tracked the rise and fall of COVID-19 unemployment benefit payments.
Wage & Hour Law
- Minimum Wage: Federal law sets a lower limit for minimum wage. Find out if a higher minimum wage is required in California or Santa Barbara County.
- Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in California and whether they apply to you.
- Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in California.
- Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in California.
Child Custody & Family Courts
- State Standards For Custody Decisions: How California Courts make child custody decisions
- Family Court for Santa Barbara County: Santa Barbara County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
- Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
- Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.
Obamacare
- Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance for 2023 in California!
- Is Health Insurance Mandatory in California? Learn about whether California imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
- Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
- Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Santa Barbara County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.
AI Tools & Legal Research
- How to Use Chat GPT4 and Google Bard to Research California Law and Procedure: Learn effective prompts, and 3 things to guard against in AI responses.
- SoloSuit, Upsolve, and Other Tools: SoloSuit and UpSolve are new solutions to old problems. Learn how they can help.
- AI Prompts for Debt Collection Defenses: Use AI to learn about wage garnishment and debt ccollection procedures where you live.
- AI Prompts for California Probate Laws and Procedures: To help you handle your child custody matters.
Democracy
- Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
- How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Santa Maria, CA.
- Gerrymandering in California: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
- Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about
Find a Lawyer
- Our Lawyers by Zipcode section is where users can find out how to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on some topics we don't cover.
- DUI, Criminal Defense
- Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
- Immigration
- Are you a lawyer? Advertise your services in Santa Maria, CA. Find out more.
Why We Do This
LegalConsumer.com gives consumers access to justice by delivering hyper-local explanations of everyday consumer law and procedure. We've been at this since 2006, at LegalConsumer.com, and before that for many years at Nolo. All our content is written, edited, and updated by folks who worked as editors and authors at Nolo in the 1990s and early 2000s; some still author well-known Nolo books that have been in print and updated for over 30 years. All have law degrees and years of experience explaining the law in plain English. To find out more, check out our "about" page.
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