Be Your Own Lawyer
Legal writing–crafting motions, pleadings, and other litigation documents–can be a lesson in frustration. Yet, as the only opportunity to speak to the judge, proper motions can be a case-saver for self-represented litigants. If you’re prepared to take on this challenge, here are a few pointers to get you started.
And if you need help representing yourself in civil court, it’s time to join Courtroom5.
The vast majority of civil pro se litigants don’t write their own motions and pleadings. They use pre-printed forms instead. Forms are easy to understand and quick to complete. They speed up the judicial process. With forms, clerks spend less time explaining rules. Judges can review information at a glance. Pro se litigants can take shortcuts by using forms. Complete the required sections, and you’re done. Sometimes all you need to do is sign! While litigation documents are more difficult to produce than forms, they give you more control of your case strategy.
Litigation documents are not the first thing the average person thinks about when they hear the term “legal documents”. Wills, deeds, powers of attorney, tax forms, come to mind first. These are legal documents, but they’re not for the purposes of litigation.
Litigation documents are less formulaic and more intimidating than these. Their purpose is to move a lawsuit along. In that sense, they’re more powerful than documents written on pre-printed forms.
