Should You Represent Yourself in California Civil Court?

If you are sued or need to sue someone, then you need to hire a lawyer or an attorney to help you. However, you do have the right to represent yourself in California Courts.   You can sue and defend on behalf of yourself as an individual, a partnership of which you are a partner, or your business, if you are the sole owner.

If you are suing or being sued for less than $7,500, then you should consider representing yourself in small claims court, where the jurisdictional limit is $7,500 for individuals and $5,000 for businesses.  In fact, attorney representation is not allowed in small claims court.  If the amount in dispute is more than $7,500, then depending on the complexity and expense of your case, you may want to consider suing for less than the amount in dispute to avoid incurring attorney’s fees.

The upside of self-representation is pretty straightforward–You can save a lot of money on attorney fees.  Unfortunately, the downside of self-representation carries a lot of risks, and if you don’t know what you are doing you can really damage your case, and often times the damage can be irreversible.

If you really need legal counsel, but cannot afford full legal representation, one middle-of-the- road option is what is called Limited Scope Representation or Unbundled Legal Services.  This is when a Civil Litigation attorney or Divorce attorney only helps you on a particular aspect of your case, or makes a court appearance on your behalf.  This kind of service is best used for uncomplicated cases.

Remember, most lawyers’ first legal consultations are either free or are priced at a reasonable cost whether you decide you represent yourself or hire an attorney.  These are get-to-know meetings. Hiring experienced Civil Litigation attorney or divorce lawyer can take away a lot of stress and give you peace of mind.  If you are representing yourself and find yourself in a bind, don’t be afraid to reach out to an attorney before it’s too late!