What Is Legal Self-Help?

Legal self-help is the provision of information and tools to help people streamline interactions with the court system, even representing themselves in some legal matters rather than consulting an attorney. Many courts have a self-help center for the public, and such services are also available through bar associations and legal aid organizations, as well as publishers who produce legal references aimed at the general public. This assistance is often free or low cost for the benefit of people who cannot afford legal services, and is designed to increase access to legal remedies.

One aspect of legal self-help is the preparation of packets of documents for common legal matters like filing a restraining order or requesting a legal name change. These packets also include instructions to allow the client to fill out the forms independently. This form of legal self help can save costs for members of the public by allowing them to bypass an attorney for basic legal matters. It can also save money for the courts, by allowing for rapid processing of routine legal matters.

More complex legal self-help includes the provision of detailed guides to help people represent themselves in court and make filings for more intricate matters, like the formation of corporations. This legal self-help includes the necessary legal documents as well as instructions, and tips on how to handle the case in court. It can offer a detailed breakdown of what to expect and how to proceed in court, eliminating the need to pay an attorney.

The extent of legal self-help may be limited for liability reasons. Staffers at a self-help center may not be allowed to answer direct questions, but can point clients to resources they may find helpful. Thus, a tenant trying to handle a dispute cannot get legal advice from a legal self-help association, but can be pointed toward legal references, paperwork, and brochures that may answer the tenant's questions. The staff can also provide referrals to legal aid services and attorneys if a consultation becomes necessary.

Many legal self-help references are aimed at civil matters, but resources for criminal cases are available as well. It is generally advisable to retain an attorney for a complex case, but for simple matters, it may be possible for a defendant to appear in court without an attorney. If the defendant appears to be unable to provide adequate self-representation, the court may assign an attorney to the matter in the interest of justice.