142. Do I need a lawyer to represent me?
No, you do not need a lawyer to submit your claims to the Fire Victim Trust. If you are a Fire Victim (or are assisting a Fire Victim) who is not represented by a
lawyer, the Trust may be able to offer assistance to you. You may contact the Claims Administrator by phone (1-888-664-1152)
or email (info@firevictimtrust.com) for assistance with submitting your claims if you do not have a lawyer;
however, the Trust will not be providing any legal advice to you.
143. What is a Pro Se Liaison?
The Fire Victim Trust has created a team of Pro Se Liaisons, comprised of law students, to provide free claims filing assistance to people representing themselves in submitting Fire Victim Claims. Pro Se Liaisons cannot assist with civil, criminal, bankruptcy, habeas, appeals, or any state cases, and they cannot provide representation in court or find an attorney to represent you.
148. How can I add a Claimant to my Law Firm Portal?
The Fire Victim Trust relied on the Notice Party data from Question 4 of the Proof of Claim Form to identify the Claimants that appear on your Portal.
If the Proof of Claim form for the Claimant shows your firm in Question 4 or as a signatory to the form, we will update our data and move the Claimant
to your Portal. Send an email to
info@firevictimtrust.com identifying the Proof of Claim Number appearing on the Prime Clerk Bankruptcy register (here)
and requesting that we move this claim to your Portal.
If the Proof of Claim Form does not show your firm as counsel, you and the firm that does appear on the Proof of Claim form must complete
the Update Attorney Representation Form available here. Follow the instructions included in the form and then email a completed
version to info@firevictimtrust.com.
If more than one household presents the same Prior and New Law Firms, you can complete a single Update Attorney Representation Form and attach Exhibit A to
the Attorney Representation Form, which is available on your Portal.
149. How can I remove a Claimant from my Law Firm Portal?
If your firm does not appear on the Proof of Claim form filed with Prime Clerk, send an email to info@firevictimtrust.com
identifying the Claimant and we will remove the Claimant from your Portal after confirming that your firm does not appear on the Proof of Claim form.
If your firm does appear on the Proof of Claim form, you must complete the Update Attorney Representation Form,
which is available on your Portal.
150. How will the Trust evaluate attorneys’ fee requests made pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure § 1036?
If you are making a fee application pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure § 1036, please note that the Trust will be advised by the principles
set out in the following cases as well as Rule 1.5 of the California Rules of Professional Conduct:
- Aetna Life & Casualty Co. v. City of Los Angeles, 170 Cal. App. 3d 865 (1985).
- Salton Bay Marina, Inc. v. Imperial Irrigation Dist., 172 Cal. App. 3d 914 (1985).
- Andre v. City of West Sacramento, 92 Cal. App. 4th 532 (2001).
- Pacific Shores Property Owners Assn. v. Department of Fish & Wildlife, 244 Cal. App. 4th 12 (2016).
- Greater Westchester Homeowners Assn. v. City of Los Angeles, 26 Cal. 3d 86 (1979).
