Q: I do not speak fluent English & require an interpreter. What do I do if opposing attorney wants conference call?
I cannot have a conversation as defendant with plaintiff opposing council as I do not understand English in full or legal terminology spoken in English at all. The opposing attorney is aware of this and I cannot afford attorney and cannot fine any lawyer to help me who is bilingual based on small fees just to assist me with responses and to know what I should do. The court has not stipulated that I meet with the opposing attorney but they are requesting me to schedule a phone call to review my answer to the complaint and affirmative defenses based on failure to state a cause of action against defendant. I cannot communicate on my own and they won’t speak to anyone else on my behalf that isn’t a lawyer. I know I can request for an interpreter with the courts to assist me in court hearings. Can tell the lawyer I cannot discuss anything by phone with limited English when it is not court ordered for me to have a phone call with opposing counsel on my affirmative defense answer.
A: You can file anything you like, but the conversation with the attorney is not part of a court proceeding, and the Court is not going to order an interpreter. You can ask the Court for an interpreter for a Court hearing. Otherwise, this is your issue that you need to solve. It's not opposing counsel's issue, or the Court's issue.
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