{"id":50,"date":"2006-08-20T23:34:09","date_gmt":"2006-08-21T03:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/shlep\/should-i-go-it-alone\/"},"modified":"2006-11-06T17:29:40","modified_gmt":"2006-11-06T21:29:40","slug":"should-i-go-it-alone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/shlep\/should-i-go-it-alone\/","title":{"rendered":"should you go it alone?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>Tens of thousands of Americans have been parties\u00a0in a court case without having a lawyer — that is, they have “appeared” on their own behalf as pro se<\/em> or self-represented litigants. Indeed, a\u00a0frequently-quoted<\/a> 1991 American Bar Association study found that\u00a0“Self-represented persons are more likely to be satisfied with the judicial process than those who are represented by attorneys.” <\/font>Nonetheless, the decision to “go it alone” to court can be difficult and scary. [Frankly, as <\/font>Snoopy suggests<\/font><\/a>, entering a courthouse can even give a lawyer the jitters.]<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>\u00a0<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>\u00a0<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>\"emptyPockets\"\u00a0\u00a0 Of course, for many men and women, the choice to appear pro se<\/em> is easy — they have an urgent<\/em> need for help from a court, or they have been sued and must respond,\u00a0\u00a0but they have insufficient money to hire\u00a0a lawyer (and no lawyer willing to do it\u00a0 for free).\u00a0 Therefore, the\u00a0American Judicature Council has noted<\/a> that “For the most part, pro se<\/em> litigants cannot afford an attorney.\u00a0\u00a0According to a survey done for the 1999 National Conference on Pro Se<\/em> Litigation, the average pro se<\/em> litigant is a woman between the ages of 18 and 34 with a high-school education appearing in a family law matter.”\u00a0 <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font>Nevertheless, more and more better-educated and middle-income Americans are choosing to represent themselves at court.\u00a0\u00a0As report<\/a> by the National Center for State Courts found:<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font> <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

“There is no particular type of pro se litigant; people from different incomes and educational levels represent themselves and each, due to the particular circumstances of their cases, may have differing needs for assistance.”<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So, many people who can afford a lawyer, as well as\u00a0lower-income people for whom bringing a case is optional (or not immediately urgent), have to decide whether they want to and should “go it alone” to court.\u00a0 On this webpage, you’ll find information and links that may be helpful in making that decision. [As always, SHLEP<\/em> urges visitors to let us know of additional sources of useful information.]<\/p>\n

A few questions to ask yourself<\/strong>\u00a0 \"questionDude\"\u00a0<\/p>\n

You can find materials online that directly address the “should I go it alone?” question, as well as materials that might indirectly\u00a0aid\u00a0your decision by\u00a0helping you understand what to expect at court and in the litigation process.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0[update (Nov. 6, 2006): The Massachusetts Court system has recently published a comprehensive online guide called “Representing Yourself in A Civil Court<\/a>: Things to Consider When Going to Court,” which includes a thoughtful webpage on “deciding whether to represesent yourself<\/a>.”]<\/p>\n

Here are some examples.<\/p>\n

The Wisconsin court system<\/a> put together the following set of questions about using self-help in Family\/Divorce court; they are relevant or analogous for other kinds of\u00a0cases as well:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Should I represent myself?<\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/h3>\n

Most people come to court because something is affecting their lives, maybe in stressful and emotional ways. Learning the law and court processes can also be difficult and stressful. In fact, sometimes when people act as their own lawyer in complicated cases, they later need to hire a lawyer to “fix” mistakes. Hiring a lawyer after-the-fact could cost more than using a lawyer from the start. <\/font><\/p>\n

However, many people, for a number of reasons, think about representing themselves in court. There are some questions you should consider before you begin your case without using a lawyer.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"checkedBox\"\u00a0<\/font><\/p>\n

1. Are you on time for meetings and deadlines? <\/font><\/p>\n