Monday, February 8, 2010

So You Want to Be Your Own Lawyer

Read Re N: How not to write a skeleton from Family Lore. Short post with John Bolch providing a commentary that ought to clarify how to write something going before a judge.

Yes, it is English but that makes no difference at all. The legal system is a formal system - regardless of all the Judge Judys on television - there are rules to follow. Some are written and some are not -I would call the rule violated in the Family Lore post as an unwritten one but inherent in any formal setting.

Yes, we lawyers do relax a bit but even then it is within the framework of a system. We know where to tread and how to tread to avoid the bombs. After all, that is one of the multitude of things we do for our clients.


2 comments:

Stuart Showalter - Child Custody Advisor said...

I see these types of rants very often when someone wants rescued from their self-dug pit. There is a way to call a judge out when a wrong is perceived. It's called citing case law.
Another big problem I see in pro se cases is ex parte communications with the judge. "Respondent is again admonished to submit a motion to the court to be heard and serve a copy on the attorney for Petitioner"
- Stu

Sam Hasler said...

But do they then get angrier when you point out how they shot themselves in the foot? I wish I could convince people that when I write "Get a lawyer" it is not mere monetary self-interest at work. It really is not fun telling someone that they have screwed up so bad that nothing I can do will fix the problem.