Going to Court
Going to Court
Overview
Overview
You have the right to speak for yourself in court without a solicitor or other legal professional.
You may choose or need to do this because:
you think it is better to talk directly to the judge, jury or magistrates yourself
you cannot afford to pay legal fees
you are not entitled to legal aid
You are known as a ‘litigant in person’ if you represent yourself. You will be referred to as an ‘applicant’, ‘respondent’ or ‘defendant’ depending on whether your case is heard in a family, civil or criminal court.