An ineffective assistance of counsel claim may result in the court granting a wide range of relief, up to and including reversing a conviction or a sentence. The appeal process is complicated and difficult to navigate.Call our team of California criminal appeals lawyers for a FREE consultation. To file a complaint against your attorney, use the online complaint form. Or download a PDF version of the form. You can make a motion for ineffective assistance of counsel during your trial if you feel that your lawyer is not performing their duties. 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. Once you've decided to take your grievance about an attorney to the State Bar, you need to file an attorney complaint form. Ineffective assistance of counsel is a failure to adequately investigate the case. If you feel like your lawyer really messed up during your criminal trial, you may be able to argue ineffective assistance of counsel on appeal.