The oft-quoted, “A man who represents himself has a fool for a lawyer”, was invented by a lawyer. It’s like a preacher saying “A person who prays for himself is a heathen.” In both cases, the speaker advocates for his or her best interest. Yet, the concern about the growing number of self-represented litigants and their difficulties navigating the court system is well-documented. Most people in civil cases are there without a lawyer. Do they all want to be there alone? No, but most have no choice. There are though many good reasons to represent yourself in court. Below are our top 10.
10. You don’t want to be wholesaled.
Before the days of mass litigation, companies didn’t sue their customers. They attempted to collect through other means, like collection agencies, phone calls, and letters. Now, companies are taking their customers to court at an alarming rate. Through one lawyer, a company can sue fifty people and have them all scheduled to appear in one courtroom on the same day. Most people in these cases don’t show up, so the companies get a default judgment. That is the benefit of suing wholesale. The defaulted parties end up paying more than they initially owed, including attorney’s fees and court costs. When you show up, you may be able to stop the factory-like taking of your property or having a judgment on your record. You do this by making the company prove its case and challenging any and all accusations. The first requirement for this is to show up.
9. You know your case better than anyone.
You’re the best witness for your case. You know what happened, when and how. Telling someone else and letting them represent you may sound comforting, but they get to communicate what you know to the decision maker. Their interpretation of what happened may be different from yours. Since you have a huge stake in the outcome, you may be able to argue more effectively for yourself to a judge or jury. In a factual dispute you may be better able to present your perspective when cross-examining and challenging a witness. You can pick your main issues and make your own arguments when you represent yourself in court. Not only can you bring out the evidence yourself, you can demonstrate your own credibility in the process.
8. A lawyer will give you only the representation your money can buy.
If you have the money, it may be okay to drop a few thousand bucks on a lawyer to represent you. The lawyer takes your money and goes to work. If he charges a fixed amount per case, he may have a template in respect to your case type. The facts of your case may make him stray a little from his typical MO, but for the most part, he will not go over your docs with a fine toothed comb to find weaknesses in the opposing party’s case. He doesn’t have time for that. If he has five thousand dollars, he will give you five thousand dollars worth. But, if you need him to crawl through documents, he will charge you more. If you have no more, he will stop working no matter how good your case.
7. You have a right to represent yourself in court.
Court procedures and rules of evidence are designed by and for lawyers and judges. For the average pro se litigant, this is daunting. Yet, you have a right to represent yourself in court. You pay for them, and in all honesty, they should not be designed for the advantage of lawyers and judges at the expense of average citizens. When average citizens use the courts, they assert their rights to constitutional due process. So even when you lose, we all win.
6. You are capable of representing yourself.
There is a notable imbalance between the chance of losing for a pro se litigant and equally high chance of winning for lawyers fighting non-lawyers in court. However, if you can do the necessary research and comprehend cases and statutes, you have a much better chance of effective self-representation. It’s better than staying home. Fighting back puts you in a stronger position than rolling over. Too, it could make you more self-assured. Given that the deck is often stacked in favor of the legal system, courts, lawyers and judges — not you — you should be fighting mad and self-assured.
5. You’re likely to work much harder for yourself than an attorney will.
No one cares more about your case than you. When you represent yourself, you do the research, you drive to the courthouse, you write and file documents, you pay for parking, and you attend hearings. Your attorney may spend four hours a week on your case. You might spend ten. With the extra time, you may be able to find important details or arguments an attorney may miss.
4. You can’t afford a lawyer.
You don’t have the money to hire an attorney, especially for as long as the case may take. If you hire an attorney and win, you either will have paid out lots of money or the attorney will take a huge amount off the top. If you lose, you’re responsible for the expenses you incurred as well as court costs and fees for your attorney and the attorney for the opposing party. Your attorney will not share the loss with you. So, if you can’t afford a lawyer, you might fare better if you represent yourself in court.
3. You’re not overly intimidated by the legal process.
The court system is adversarial in nature. It’s understandable that you might be intimidated, but don’t let it stop you from having your day in court. Lawyers thrive on the intimidation of pro se litigants, especially those who might actually owe a debt and feel somewhat guilty. Don’t allow an attorney to elevate his needs and those of his clients above your own. Show up and stand up.
2. The amount in dispute is less than what you might pay a lawyer.
In some instances where money damages are concerned, the amount disputed may be so minuscule that you’re better off taking chances with the legal system on your own. You don’t want to pay a lawyer $2500 to represent you in a $900 case.
1. You don’t want no stinkin’ lawyer.
For years the legal profession has supported the notion of lawyers for everyone who needs them, but so far that’s a failing proposition. Not everyone who needs one wants one or gets one. Thus, the problem isn’t one of representation but one of competent self-representation. That’s the solution when you don’t want no stinkin’ lawyer. If you need a hand, Courtroom5 is here to help you represent yourself in court.
My 27 Yr. old Mamas boy was shot multiple times in the back and killed by the dog trainer of Hamilton County Tennessee Sheriffs Dept i got a lawyer off internet cop 411 he waited a year filed lawsuit then April 11 2023 withdrew ,I had 45 days to find new lawyer or represent myself ,So far no luck a lawyer to take on police is hard to find i have all the proof live scanner says he running toward road when they unload 10 shots on my child i have not been able to get police report or district attorney to return my calls so im going on what i investigated on my own and its enough i will get justice for James Michael Farris ,they made my boy sound like a monster on the news and hunted him down and shot him and i have a picture of these men sitting on back of a tailgate like they just shot a deer,not to mention them bringing his lifeless body out handcuffed on gurney a few had body cam but said it was not on..there audio statements are disturbing one calls my son a name they say after he is shot on ground two of them hit him in head with riffle and dry taser him and crush his wrist with there foot stomped my boys wrist…this has been helpful i want to say thank you.with god on my side i cant loose…sincerely Kimberly Farris JUSTICE4JAMESFARRIS
My eyes are filled with tears , I admire you so much
God bless you Love! Prayers for all you’re going through! đź’śđź’ś
Chief David Duffett, Sgt Skabardis (now Chief Erik Skabardis) and other cops broke into the home of a disabled war veteran, choked him, threatened to shoot him, falsely arrested him, then trumped up several false felony charges against him! The veteran sat in jail 2 and a half years before proving his innocence at trial. Chief Duffett did it as a favor to the veteran’s wife to gain full custody of the 5 kids. The veteran sued them in federal court! See Nettles V Skabardis, Duffett 22-cv-10499, in Michigan federal court. I pray justice âš– is finally done.
The corrupt cops đź‘® told the disabled war veteran, “We’re the judge and the jury!”
The Fourth Amendment originally enforced the notion that “each man’s home is his castle”, secure from unreasonable searches and seizures of property by the government. It protects against arbitrary arrests, and is the basis of the law regarding search warrants, stop-and-frisk, safety inspections, wiretaps, and other forms of surveillance, as well as being central to many other criminal law topics and to privacy law.
What I just read is like God send , I’ve been terrified to represent myself because all the articles of lawyers online and also from my loved ones .
This article , nevertheless , is encouraging and make consider the representing myself doesn’t make me a Fool.
I’d love to be trained , I know I learn without difficulty if I believe I can do it . I have studied many laws concerning my case : I’m 72 and going thru divorce proceedings , I hired a lawer and paid around 9 thousand already and after my 7 thou retaining I have paid in full every balance but nevertheless my layer filed a motion to withdraw from my case : today at the hearing she will not be representing me . I accept this because it financially impossible to keep on paying her fees .
You offer has motivated me to brief I can do this if I learn what to do , thanks
This article provides valuable insights into the benefits of self-representation in court. The emphasis on cost savings and the empowerment of individuals navigating the legal system is compelling. The practical tips offered, such as understanding procedural rules, can indeed empower those considering representing themselves.