Appointed Counsel

Appointed counsel are private attorneys who are appointed by the court to represent an indigent defendant when there is a conflict with the Public Defender’s Office. Private attorneys can also be appointed to serve as guardian ad litem (GAL) for minor victims in a case.

In order to serve as appointed counsel, an attorney must meet certain requirements as set forth in the Ohio Administrative Code, Rule 120-1-10.

Appointed Counsel Application

You’ll find instructions and forms to apply to serve as an appointed counsel below. Completed applications should be forwarded to the Court Administrator’s Office for processing.

Instruction Letter
Vendor Registration Information (Lucas County)
W-9 Form
OPERS Non-Member Acknowledgment Form

Appointed Counsel Motions for Fee

Appointed counsel are paid in accordance with the fees set by the Lucas County Commissioners.

Instructions for Completing the Motion for Fees

The Motion, Entry, Certification for Appointed Counsel Fees Form must be submitted to the Toledo Municipal Court Services Department no later than 30 days after the disposition of the case.
Motions with errors will be returned to the submitting attorney for correction. Court staff are not permitted to correct the form for you.
The caption on the form should read "In the Toledo Municipal Court of Lucas County, Ohio."
The judge who was assigned to the case must be listed on the front of the motion.
The calculations must be correct (in-court and out-of-court hours and the total amount due).
Do not include dates of service prior to the appointment being made or include dates after the disposition of the case. Please make sure your dates of service include the year.
The Financial Disclosure form must be attached to the Motion, Entry, and Certification for Appointed Counsel Fees Form and it must be completed for conflict cases. GAL cases do not require a financial disclosure form.
Correctly completed motions for conflict cases will be submitted to the Lucas County Auditor for payment. The auditor, not the court, is responsible for payment. Motions for appointed counsel serving as a GAL are paid by either the court or the City of Toledo Law Department.

Recertification for Appointed Counsel

Attorneys must complete and submit the Counsel Qualifications Form annually to be recertified. Appointed counsel will be notified by the court when it's time to renew the appointed counsel certification.