Recent changes to legal aid mean that certain employment, immigration
as well as family law cases will no longer be eligible for legal
aid. So how do people, especially those who cannot afford to hire a firm or
solicitor, acquire justice? In most cases, many individuals are now settling to
represent themselves in court. The Bar Council, in response to the increasing
number of people who are representing themselves in a trial, decided to release
a guide on how people can defend and represent themselves in court. This
includes a note that people should not attempt to copy the way lawyers act in
TV because “judges hate it”.
So how can people who have no background on the different laws and legal matters defend themselves in court? The first step that they should do
would be to seek for independent advice. These individuals can ask for advice
from a non-profit law centre like the Citizens Advice Bureau and Advice UK.
These law centres can advice individuals on the different steps that they
should take in handling their case, or if the case is worth fighting for in the
first place.
Many experts also believe that individuals who want to represent
themselves should not disregard completely the option of asking help from a
lawyer or solicitor. You can also ask help from a solicitor (most will offer a
free initial consultation). Many people are under the false pretense that
solicitors will advise clients or people who are asking for help to agree on
something that is not originally part of their interest. The right lawyer can
actually steer you away from making bad decisions regarding your case. Make
sure that you approach a solicitor that will remain neutral with your case and
someone that will help you make decisions regarding the process of your case.
