Family Law Self Representation Facts

Retired California Superior Court Judge Eugene Hyman discusses representing yourself in Family Court.

Representing yourself in any type of legal matter without the benefit of legal counsel is referred to as acting "Pro Se". Pro Se (pronounced 'pro say') literally means "on one's own behalf" -- you choose to act on your own without hiring an attorney. Legal self representation applies to more than just court proceedings; 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 category, provided you complete the legal forms and file the paperwork without the advice or representation of a lawyer.

WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE REPRESENT THEMSELVES?

A variety of legal organizations and bar associations have conducted studies of self-represented litigants, and these studies show that a wide variety of individuals rely upon themselves for handling their legal issues: • Persons with lower than average incomes are more likely to represent themselves. • A significant portion of self-represented individuals report they could have afforded to hire an attorney to represent them, but that they chose not to do so. • Some studies show that those who represent themselves are far more likely to be satisfied with the legal process than those who are represented by attorneys. • Three quarters of those who represented themselves in court said they would do it again before they hired an attorney.