Represent yourself in court : prepare & try a winning civil case
Edition
12th edition.
Publication Information
El Segundo, CA : Nolo, 2025.
Physical Description
574 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm
Summary
Many disputes are too big for small claims court but too small to jsutify a lawyer's fee. Fortunately, if you're willing to learn the courtroom ropes, you can successfully handle your own case from start to finish. Represent Yourself in Court breaks the pretrial and trial process down into easy-to-understand steps. Armed with these clear and thorough instructions, you'll be well prepared to: Draft and file court papers ; Get help from an attorney or legal coach ; Obtain and prepare your evidence, including social media postings ; Handle depositions ; Line up, prepare, and examine witnesses ; Present an opening statement ; Make and respond to objections ; Pick a jury if necessary, and ; Deal with the court clerk and judge. Whether you're a plaintiff or a defendant, this book will help you handle a bankruptcy, divorce, landlord-tenant dispute, breach of contract case, small business dispute--or any other civil lawsuit. The 12th edition is completely updated to include remote court appearances.
Contents
- Going it alone in court
- The courthouse and the courtroom
- Starting your case
- Pretrial procedures
- Investigating your case
- Settlement
- Pretrial motions
- Proving your case at trial : the plaintiff's perspective
- Proving your case at trial : the defendant's perspective
- Selecting the decision maker
- Opening statement
- Direct examination
- Cross-examination
- Closing argument
- Exhibits
- Basic rules of evidence
- Making and responding to objections
- Organizing a trial notebook
- Expert witnesses
- When your trial ends : judgments and appeals
- Representing yourself in family court
- Representing yourself in bankruptcy court
- Help beyond the book : people, places, and publications.