Limited Jurisdiction Civil Court Cases (Up To $35,000)
Limited civil case - A general civil case which involves an amount of money of $35,000 or less.
Representing Yourself in a Civil Case
If you are filing a limited civil case or an unlimited civil case, it is a very good idea to have a lawyer. But you are not legally required to have a lawyer (unless you are incorporated and your corporation is the one that is suing or being sued).
If you do not have a lawyer, you will have to act as your lawyer. And, to do so, you will have to know the laws and court procedures. The court cannot help you or give you a break just because you are not a lawyer and do not know the law. If you do not follow the many court rules and laws governing litigation, you could get fined by the court and you could even lose important rights or your entire case.
Read the California Court's section on representing yourself for more information you should know if you are going to represent yourself.
Talk to a lawyer for advice and help on how to defend yourself if you have been sued in a limited civil case. For help finding a lawyer, click here.