Oneida County Office of the Civil Defender

The Oneida County Office of the Civil Defender (formerly known as the Public Defender – Civil Division) shall represent without charge any indigent individual entitled to and who is financially unable to obtain counsel in certain proceedings before the Oneida County Family Court and the Oneida County Surrogate's Court.

Such representation shall be provided at every stage of the proceeding in these Courts, including appeals if, in the judgment of the Civil Defender, the facts and circumstances warrant such an appeal.

• The Attorneys and Support Staff of the Civil Defender provide representation and service before the Oneida County Family Court, which sits in both the Utica Courthouse (located at 200 Elizabeth St., Utica) and the Rome Court Facility (located at 301 W. Dominick St., Rome), and the Oneida County Surrogate's Court, which sits in the County Office Building.
• The Attorneys and Support Staff serve the calendars of four Family Court Judges, three Support Magistrates, a Court Attorney Referee, Oneida County Family Treatment Court in Utica and Rome, and the Judge of the Surrogate Court in matters of adoption and guardianship.
• In the Family Court, the Civil Defender represents clients in matters concerning custody, visitation, child abuse and neglect, child support, adoption, paternity, persons in need of supervision (PINS) proceedings, and juvenile delinquency (JD) proceedings.

To Apply for Legal Services

1. You MUST have a case pending in Family Court.
2. You MUST provide the Docket # and Family File # on the application.