Do I Really Need an Attorney for That?

I field that question a lot. It's not an unreasonable one. Most people don't plan on having a legal problem, and an even smaller number set aside money to pay attorneys.

So, I sympathize with the question. Typically, the response is this: imagine asking the same question about a surgeon. "Do I really need a surgeon for that? Couldn't I just do it myself?"

Well, you could try to do it yourself, but the results are probably not going to be ideal. Why? If you represent yourself, if you handle your matter yourself, the court will treat you as though you are an attorney. They just will. That means you will be expected to know the Rules of Evidence. You will be expected to know the Rules of Civil Procedure. You will be expected to know how court works as if you are an attorney.

No sane surgeon would perform surgery on himself or herself. In fact, most attorneys (the sane ones) will tell you that if they are involved in litigation personally, they will hire another attorney to handle the matter. In other words, if we know we should hire someone else to help us, that should tell you something.