You feel you have been wronged or have a strong legal case yet are hesitant to file due to the cost of a lawyer. It is important to know that you can file a lawsuit without retaining a lawyer. In fact, some courts are specifically designed to allow citizens to sue without a lawyer.
Instructions
1. Staking a small claim. The most common legal venue that the general public utilizes for resolution of matters involving smaller monetary claims is in small claims court. In fact, most states strictly forbid the appearance of an attorney on behalf of litigants in small claims courts. The purpose is to keep costs down to a minimum to afford citizens the right to have their grievance heard before a judge. Each state has its own limitation on the monetary value that can be pursued in a small claims case, generally ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 per case. To determine your state's limit you can visit a website such as HALT.org.
2. Get a free consultation. There are other options to retaining an attorney in your pursuit of legal redress. While you may not wish, or cannot afford, to pay for an attorney you may still get advice from non-profit organizations like Legal Aid Societies. A legal aid society is typically staffed by attorneys who volunteer their time to assist citizens.
3. Seek out a budding pro. Many university-based law schools also offer free legal advice and services. This is good training ground for prospective lawyers-to-be and is usually supervised by advanced (or tenured) professors of law.
4. Know your Latin! Filing a lawsuit without an attorney is often referred to as "in pro per" which comes from the Latin phrase meaning "for one's self." Many states or courts do require that you add the phrase "in pro per" at the bottom of your paperwork if filing without counsel.
5. Don't shirk the clerk! Your primary resource in filing the right documents is the court clerk's office. The court clerk will, in nearly all instances, provide assistance and direction in filing the proper forms, including advising of costs and deadlines.
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