I Am Not A Lawyer – the Courtroom5 blog

A Guide to Legal Settlements in the US

A settlement is an agreement between two parties in a lawsuit to resolve their dispute without a trial. Settlements avoid the costs and impact of litigation.

11 Steps To Take When You Need To Sue

Have you been injured in some way, physically or otherwise? Considering suing the other party? Here are 11 essential steps to take to guide your way.

Responding To A Motion To Dismiss

When you file a civil complaint, the defendant may file a motion to dismiss your case. Learn the grounds for these motions and how to combat them.

What Does a Civil Complaint Consist Of?

Civil complaints are documents that initiate court lawsuits where one private person or entity claims to have been harmed by another private person or entity.

All About Family Court Motions

Family court motions may be filed while a case is pending or after the judge has issued final orders. There are several you can use for varying types of relief.

Using Text Messages and Emails in Mediation, Family, or Divorce Court

Can texts and emails be used in mediation, family, or divorce court? Short answer: yes, they can.Texts, emails, Facebook and Instagram Messenger, and WhatsApp correspondence have all become common and accepted forms of evidence in divorce/family court and beyond. Knowing how to collect, consolidate, and quickly retrieve mobile evidence can be critical in obtaining your desired results.

What Is The Purpose Of A Motion?

When you’re involved in a lawsuit, you have two ways to communicate with the judge: speaking before the court during a hearing or trial or by filing a motion. A motion is a written request for the judge to issue an order or make a decision on a contested issue. You can use this procedural device to request relief on a specific detail of a case, like a hearing date. Under certain circumstances, you can also use it to resolve the whole case before it goes to court. It’s important to understand how motions work and learn what they can do for you. Here are some tips:

The Motion To Vacate Default Judgment

After handling hundreds of cases, attorneys become accustomed to the ups and downs of litigation. However, most pro se litigants don’t deal with legal anxieties on a regular basis. One of the most worrisome situations for any defendant is an Entry of Default Judgment against them. This occurs when you, as a defendant, aren’t available to present your side of the case. Fortunately, in the legal world, it’s not over ’til it’s over. If you have a good reason, you can file a Motion to Vacate a Default Judgment Order.

Understanding The Breach Of Contract Claim

Oftentimes, we create contracts without giving them a second thought. So, when we’re sued, we don’t always recognize the claim as a breach of contract claim. Would you handle your case differently if you knew?

6 Techniques To Boost Your Self-Representation

Whether it’s a knack for finding just the right appellate cases or an aptitude for selecting the ideal jury, successful litigators value that extra edge. Sometimes that edge can be psychological. Luckily, you have a variety of mental tools at your disposal. Using methods of psychology, you can increase your confidence, communicate effectively, make more persuasive arguments, negotiate settlements, and more. Below are six behavioral techniques for managing your case.

What To Do With That Summons You’ve Just Been Served

After working a grueling double shift over the holidays, Mark was served with a summons and a copy of a complaint alleging that he was responsible for a slip and fall that occurred on a property owned by his deceased aunt.

Test Your Readiness For Court

In litigation, not all knowledge carries equal weight. What important legal concepts are you missing? Take this readiness test to find out.

#BlackLivesMatter = #DefundThePolice

#BlackLivesMatter is a call to #DefundThePolice because the function of policing is to make Black lives matter less. We can’t have one without the other.

Why Do Pro Se Litigants Lose So Often?

Pro se litigants are practicing law without a license, which is our right when we’re directly interested in a case. But it also means we lose, a lot.

You Too Can Write An Appellate Brief

To succeed in writing an initial appellate brief, you must persuade the Court that the case should be reversed. Here’s information to help you persuade.

Tell Me About Your Case

We keep our civil cases secret from family and friends. It’s why we feel so isolated as self-represented litigants. No more. Come tell me about your case.

Prophetic Genius Richard Zorza

With the discovery that the typical civil case involves a self-represented litigant, Richard Zorza becomes one of the Lawyers We Love the most.

Michael Ratner, Presente!

Michael Ratner, the radical fighter for human rights around the globe, was one of the Lawyers We Love. We mourn his passing in New York at the age of 72.

Legal Bits Episode 422

Legal Bits for December 2015: New Hampshire’s parking meter gangsters, clogged courts in Canada, and a forgotten strategy for beating an eviction.

The Tinley Park Squatter Is A Hero

The Tinley Park squatter is playing the system, but probably not as badly as the system has plagued her. She’s caring for family the best way she knows how.

The Pain Of Losing A Case On Appeal

Losing a case on appeal is painful. The judge is an idiot, or biased, usually both. But you’re dealing with professionals on a higher court. Right?