Going It Alone in Court -- The Courthouse and the Courtroom -- Starting Your Case -- Pretrial Procedures -- Investigating Your Case -- Settlement -- Pretrial Motions -- Proving Your Case at Trial: The Plaintiff's Perspective -- Proving Your Case at Trial: The Defendant's Perspective -- Selecting the Decision Maker -- Opening Statement -- Direct Examination -- Cross-Examination -- Closing Argument -- Exhibits: Basic Rules of Evidence -- Making and Responding to Objections -- Organizing a Trial Notebook -- Expert Witnesses -- When Your Trial Ends: Judgments and Appeals -- Representing Yourself in Family Court -- Representing Yourself in Bankruptcy Court -- Help beyond the book: websites, people, places, and publications.
Summary:
Many disputes are too big for small claims court but too small to justify a lawyer’s fee. Fortunately, if you’re willing to learn the courtroom ropes, you can successfully handle your own case from start to finish. Represent Yourself in Court breaks the pretrial and trial process down into easy-to-understand steps. Armed with these clear and thorough instructions, you’ll be well prepared to: draft and file court papers get help from an attorney or legal coach obtain and prepare your evidence, including social media postings handle depositions line up, prepare, and examine witnesses present an opening statement make and respond to objections pick a jury if necessary, and deal with the court clerk and judge Whether you’re a plaintiff or a defendant, this book will help you handle a bankruptcy, divorce, landlord-tenant dispute, breach of contract case, small business dispute—or any other civil lawsuit.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.