Once you've decided to take your grievance about an attorney to the State Bar, you need to file an attorney complaint form. Find out how to resolve a problem without going to court, file a complaint against a lawyer, and how to get money back from an unethical attorney below.Fill out all spaces on the California Attorney Complaint Form completely. Provide your name, address, zip code and telephone numbers (work and home). In California, Rule 5.21 of the Rules of the Procedure of the State Bar imposes a general time limit of five years from the date of violation. Yes you can file a complaint against the opposing attorney. The state bar will investigate this on your behalf. Yes, you can file an anonymous complaint regarding a potentially unlicensed attorney in California.