Family Law

Representing Yourself (Sans Attorney) Is a Risky Proposition

The appellant in this case was not happy with the way her attorney handled her medical malpractice case. So she decided to sue him. She also made the decision to represent herself instead of hiring an attorney. She lost her case and ultimately was ordered to pay over $2,000.00 in costs to the attorney she was suing. In my opinion, she could have avoided those costs had she listened to an attorney’s advice at the outset. That advice would have cost her much less than $2,000.00 I assure you.

Many people elect to handle their own cases in a court of law (this is called “pro se”). And you know what, not all of them end up with bad results. Some even prevail. However, if you are committed to going to court over an issue, isn’t that issue important enough to hire an attorney to represent you? It seems that this is a rhetorical question, but time and time again I see people in court handling their own cases - most of the time with disastrous results.

When you need help with your car take it to someone that you trust that works on cars. When you need help with a legal issue, take it to an attorney you trust. It will be money well spent.

Here’s the link…
http://courts.arkansas.gov/court_opinions/coa/2008b/20081029/published/ca08-384.pdf

Full post as published by Kevin Hickey Law Blog on November 06, 2008 (boomark / email).