How to Represent Yourself in a Personal Injury Case

Representing yourself in any kind of legal matter without the advantage of legal counsel is referred to as acting "Pro Se". Pro Se (pronounced 'pro say') literally means "on one's own benefit" -- you choose to do something on your own without hiring a lawyer.

Legal self representation applies to more than simply court proceeding; actions like creating a Last Will and Testament, filing a Deed, handling your own Divorce or filing for Bankruptcy all fall under the pro se class, provided you complete the legal forms and file the paperwork without the help or representation of a lawyer.

WHICH KIND OF PEOPLE REPRESENT THEMSELVES?

A number of legal organizations and bar associations have conducted studies of self-represented litigants, and these studies show that a broad variety of people depend upon themselves for handling their legal issues

o Persons with lower than average incomes are more likely to represent themselves in a truck accident lawsuit.

o A considerable piece of self-represented individuals report they might have afforded to hire an attorney to represent them, but that they chose to not do so.

o Three quarters of those who represented themselves in court said they would do it again before they hired an attorney.

Some studies show that people who represent themselves are way more likely to be pleased with the legal process than those that are represented by attorneys.

WHY DO INDIVIDUALS CHOOSE TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES?

Also, the causes that people offer for representing themselves in legal matters are as much as they are varied:

O Many feel that attorneys do not deliver quality services, neglect to return telephone calls, and treat their customers within an unfriendly or unprofessional manner

o People need to be in charge of their very own lives, circumstances and scenarios

o For many, their cases or scenarios are simple enough to manage themselves or involve simple legal document preparation and filing

o People know their own situation best and believe that they are in the best position to handle any problems that may face

OR WISE?

Attorneys often indicate that one is "foolish" for representing one's self, whether in court or for transactional or alternative legal matters. However, those armed with the right details and technology -- like the proper legal forms and legal documents -- as well as the want to handle their own legal issues can attain precisely the same results themselves as they would with a lawyer. Of equal value, those individuals can save themselves hundreds -- if not thousands -- of dollars in the process.

In every state in the Usa, persons are allowed to represent themselves inside the courtroom and/or to handle their own legal issues without the aid of a lawyer. (This doesn't mean, however, that non-lawyers can act for or with respect to any individual or even represent a corporation or limited liability company they own; to do this, you have to be a licensed attorney.)

WHAT RESOURCES EXIST TO HELP A PERSON SELF-REPRESENT?

In several cases, the very same result could be achieved by individuals seeking the assistance of an attorney by obtaining, completing and filing / recording together with the proper court or government entity the required valid and binding legal forms.

So how can the average person get access to the types of legal forms necessary for common issues like Insolvency, Wills, Divorce, etc. with the proper instructions included?

Most common legal issues involve using some type of standardized legal form. For years, courts and attorneys have created these standardized forms and the employment of these forms has been ongoing, frequently with no changes in the shape or file for large periods of time. The usage of the forms by persons that are not attorneys does not, in any manner, make these forms any less valid or binding. So long as the form or document uses the legal "magic words" and complies together with the governmental regulations regarding content and usage, the document is successful -- even when completed and filed by a non-lawyer.

Of equal significance for the legal forms themselves are the directions to complete the forms accurately. Many times, a person may manage to discover a generic legal form from a board or court site, but usually those files won't provide any sort of instructions or overviews to enable a person complete and file them. So unless the person has a keen understanding of the law and its processes - - including any statespecific requirements that are generally not spelled out in the form - - the documents from a government or court website will probably be unmanageable for the normal person.

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSULT LAW FIRM ?

Self representation is reasonable occasionally, but let good sense prevail!

No one can argue that there are times when it could be essential -- or in the very least highly advisable -- to consult with a qualified lawyer to handle a legal matter. Especially difficult for pro se cases are those with intensive litigation and court proceeding. For many, representing one's self in a personal injury and medical malpractice case may be ill advised. Complex business transactions or matters involving the IRS may call for the advice of an attorney. Similarly, if any individual has questions regarding the appropriate process for any legal matter or trade, is uncertain the measures that really must be followed to reach a specific legal target, or has any difficulty in understanding or completing legal forms, then those individuals should seek the advice of legal counsel.