The era of being represented by legal counsel has been relegated to the ancient history shelves. People flock to the courtroom without an attorney – pro se litigation is the new kid on the block. So why are pro se litigants coming out of the courtroom discouraged, beaten up and confused? What piece of the puzzle is missing for these litigants?
They have the right to represent themselves, but along with that right they’ve assumed the same responsibilities as a divorce attorney. They will be held to the same standards as a divorce attorney – no free gratis here just because they’ve opted to go it alone.
Too many pro se litigants believe the Judicial System owes them special treatment, favors and a free ride. If they want to wear the pro se hat than they must assume responsibility for their decision. Maybe it’s time for pro se divorce litigants to change their strategy.
1200 divorce judges say pro se litigants are doing a poor job and clogging up the courts. Courts are already suffering from budget cuts due to the recession; they’ve had to reduce staff and some courts have had to lose their doors. Judges Say Litigants Are Increasingly Going Pro Se—at Their Own Peril. (ABA
Many pro se litigants don’t know their own State laws regarding divorce and family law; consequently they walk out of court discouraged, angry and think everyone has ganged up on them. Often they ignore the Statute of Limitations, don’t know their State’s laws on serving papers, they suffer default judgments and sometimes their cases will be dismissed for failing to adequately plead their cause of action.
When it’s your day in court don’t expect several dress rehearsals, it’s not a practice run. Most judges will try to assist you if you’re struggling but they don’t have time to hold your hand and have a fireside chat with you.
It is illegal for the court’s staff to give legal advice, but there are workshops and online venues offered specifically for pro se litigants. Most judges are doing a balancing act hoping to be fair and trying to give the pro se litigants a fair hearing. The judge has a very small window of time and must make a decision from the information at hand.
Information at hand is the secret to winning your divorce case in court. Do you know how to prepare your case for court? This will take due diligence on your part – there’s lot of homework required. Study your State divorce laws, learn courtroom procedure and prepare a powerful fact laden case for the judge so he or she has the necessary information at hand to grant you a favorable divorce.
If you need help preparing your case, contact www.caseboss.com They have 60 openings left for pro se litigants – it’s totally free for one year. CaseBoss has a stellar team that will answer questions and assist you…
As Always,
Little Tboca
No comments:
Post a Comment