Represent Yourself in Court FAQ

Questions:

• Is it ever sensible to appear in court without a lawyer?
• Can I learn everything I need to know to represent myself in court?
• Is it difficult to prepare the paperwork to initiate a lawsuit?
• I've filed my lawsuit. What do I need to do next?
• What are the stages of a typical trial?
• How do I question witnesses in court?
• When my case finally makes it to the courtroom, I'm afraid I won't know what to say, when to say it, or even where to stand. How can I learn what to do?
• When do I have a right to have my civil case heard by a jury?

Answer:

I've filed my lawsuit. What do I need to do next?

Before a case gets scheduled for trial, a number of things need to happen. Information about most of these -- for example, whether and when a settlement conference must take place, when papers must be filed, and how to place a case on the court's trial calendar -- are available from the court clerk.

Unfortunately, how to accomplish other pre-trial tasks -- which often come under the broad title "discovery" -- is left largely up to you and the other parties to the lawsuit. For example, one type of discovery consists of your taking the deposition (oral statement) of the other party or one or more witnesses to find out what he or she is likely to say at trial. Other types of discovery consist of interrogatories (written questions to the other party), a request to produce documents, or a request that the other party admit certain facts (stipulations). You can get more details about the discovery process in Nolo's articles What to Do After You File Your Lawsuit: Making a Discovery Plan and Formal Discovery: Gathering Evidence for Your Lawsuit.