Q: can a pubic defender work on divorce in oregon
on my paper work it say Metropolitan Public Defender Services and her lawyer was their money on my wife case because my ex who has no money and the judge say no to them make me pay for her lawyer
A:
The term public defender has to do with a licensed Attorney who is court appointment to represent indigent criminal clients. The person who is a public defender is usually a licensed attorney. As a licensed Attorney that Attorney could also practice law in any area that any other attorney could do, so yes, as a licensed Attorney, if the Attorney is licensed in Oregon, that Attorney could handle a divorce as an Oregon divorce Attorney. When serving as a divorce Attorney that Attorney would not be doing public defender work.
Now if the person you are referring to isn't licensed to practice law in Oregon, they could still represent themselves in a divorce. You don't have to have a license to practice law to work on your own legal case.
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