Lastly, there is no such thing as a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel in family court. In the U.S., ineffective assistance of counsel is in criminal matters and can be an issue on appeal from a conviction.Ineffective Assistance of Counsel. Demonstrating that your attorney provided inadequate representation, resulting in prejudice to your case. You need to tell the court that your public defender has not talked to you and ask the court to relieve the PD's office and appoint other counsel. Inneffective assistance of counsel claims have to pass two hurdles in the 11.07 writ process and federal appeals. You can file a petition asking the appellate division to certify the case for transfer to the Court of Appeal. We would like to discuss some of the common delay tactics used in a divorce and how to combat those tactics. The Houston appeals lawyers at Clouthier Law have extensive experience evaluating cases and formulating an approach to challenging a legal matter on appeal. For this reason, engaging a lawyer who specializes in family law can be invaluable.