Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare and Try a Winning Case

Represent 
Yourself
 in Court: 
How to Prepare and Try
a Winning Case......Page 1
Represent Yourself in Court: How to Prepare and Try a Winning Case......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Table of contents......Page 9
1 GOING IT ALONE IN COURT......Page 17
A. THE SCOPE OF THIS BOOK......Page 19
B. CAN YOU REALLY REPRESENT YOURSELF?......Page 20
C. COPING WITH BEING A STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND......Page 21
D. FINDING A LEGAL COACH......Page 22
E. HOW TO USE THIS BOOK......Page 24
F. TRY TO SETTLE YOUR CASE......Page 27
2 THE COURTHOUSE AND THE COURTROOM......Page 31
A. AN OVERVIEW OF DIFFERENT COURTS......Page 33
B. A TYPICAL COURTHOUSE......Page 34
C. THE COURTROOM PLAYERS......Page 37
D. THE COURTROOM AND ITS PHYSICAL LAYOUT......Page 43
E. COURTROOM RULES, CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE......Page 46
3 STARTING YOUR CASE......Page 51
A. DO YOU HAVE A GOOD CASE?......Page 53
B. IS YOUR LAWSUIT TIMELY?......Page 55
C. WHICH COURT HAS POWER TO HEAR A CASE ( JURISDICTION)?......Page 58
D. HOW A LAWSUIT BEGINS......Page 67
4 OVERVIEW OF PRETRIAL PROCEDURES......Page 83
A. KNOW AND FOLLOW PRETRIAL DEADLINES......Page 84
C. COURT-ORDERED MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION......Page 85
D. INITIAL PRETRIAL PROCEDURES: SETTING GROUND RULES......Page 86
E. INTERMEDIATE PRETRIAL PROCEDURES: DISCOVERY AND MOTIONS......Page 91
F. FINAL PRETRIAL PROCEDURES: TRIAL PREPARATION......Page 93
5 INVESTIGATING YOUR CASE......Page 103
A. INFORMAL INVESTIGATION......Page 104
B. FORMAL DISCOVERY......Page 110
C. DEPOSITIONS......Page 114
D. WRITTEN INTERROGATORIES......Page 128
E. REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS AND SUBPOENAS......Page 133
F. REQUESTS FOR ADMISSIONS......Page 136
6 SETTLEMENT......Page 137
A. COURT- ORDERED MEDIATION......Page 140
B. COURT- ORDERED ARBITRATION......Page 144
C. OFFERS OF JUDGMENT......Page 145
D. PRETRIAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCES......Page 146
E. POST- SETTLEMENT DOCUMENTS......Page 148
7 PRETRIAL MOTIONS......Page 151
A. AN OVERVIEW OF PRETRIAL MOTION PRACTICE......Page 152
C. WHAT GOES INTO A MOTION......Page 156
D. SCHEDULING A COURT HEARING ON A PRETRIAL MOTION......Page 158
F. COURT HEARINGS ON MOTIONS......Page 159
G. COMMON PRETRIAL MOTIONS......Page 161
8 WHAT YOU NEED TO PROVE AT TRIAL:
THE PLAINTIFF’S PERSPECTIVE......Page 183
A. THE ELEMENTS OF A LEGAL CLAIM......Page 184
C. PROVING EACH ELEMENT......Page 186
D. YOUR BURDEN OF PROOF......Page 188
E. HOW TO IDENTIFY FACTS PROVING THE ELEMENTS OF YOUR CLAIM......Page 189
F. LOOKING AHEAD TO TRIAL: ORGANIZING YOUR EVIDENCE......Page 194
G. LEARNING ABOUT YOUR ADVERSARY¡¯S CASE......Page 196
9 WHAT YOU NEED TO PROVE AT TRIAL:
THE DEFENDANT’S PERSPECTIVE......Page 197
B. IDENTIFYING THE PLAINTIFF¡¯S FACTS......Page 199
C. DEFEATING ANY ONE ELEMENT OF A CLAIM......Page 201
D. DISPROVING THE PLAINTIFF¡¯S FACTS BY IMPEACHING WITNESSES......Page 202
E. PROVING YOUR VERSION OF EVENTS......Page 203
F. PUTTING THE DEFENSE STRATEGIES TOGETHER......Page 204
10 SELECTING THE DECISIONMAKER......Page 207
B. ARE YOU BETTER OFF WITH A JUDGE TRIAL OR A JURY TRIAL?......Page 208
D. DISQUALIFYING A JUDGE......Page 209
E. MAKING A TIMELY JURY TRIAL REQUEST......Page 211
F. HOW THE JURY SELECTION PROCESS WORKS......Page 212
G. YOUR RIGHT TO CHALLENGE JURORS......Page 214
H. WHAT JURORS SHOULD YOU CHALLENGE......Page 217
I. WHAT TO ASK PROSPECTIVE JURORS......Page 218
J. ALTERNATE JURORS......Page 222
11 OPENING STATEMENT......Page 223
A. SHOULD YOU MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT?......Page 224
B. WHEN TO MAKE YOUR OPENING STATEMENT......Page 225
C. HOW TO PUT TOGETHER YOUR OPENING STATEMENT......Page 227
D. WHAT NOT TO SAY DURING OPENING STATEMENT......Page 229
E. TIPS FOR REHEARSING AND PRESENTING YOUR OPENING STATEMENT......Page 232
F. SAMPLE OPENING STATEMENT......Page 234
G. SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR YOUR TRIAL NOTEBOOK......Page 235
12 DIRECT EXAMINATION......Page 237
A. DIRECT EXAMINATION AS STORYTELLING......Page 238
B. OVERVIEW OF DIRECT EXAMINATION PROCEDURES......Page 239
C. PREPARING FOR DIRECT EXAMINATION......Page 240
D. PRESENTING YOUR OWN TESTIMONY ON DIRECT EXAMINATION......Page 245
E. HOW TO QUESTION WITNESSES......Page 246
F. HOSTILE WITNESSES......Page 258
G. THE JUDGE¡¯S ROLE......Page 259
H. A SAMPLE DIRECT EXAMINATION......Page 260
13 CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 265
A. AN OVERVIEW OF CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 266
B. SHOULD YOU CROSS- EXAMINE?......Page 268
C. HOW TO ASK QUESTIONS ON CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 269
D. ELICITING HELPFUL EVIDENCE......Page 271
E. IMPEACHING ADVERSE WITNESSES......Page 274
F. BASE QUESTIONS ON EVIDENCE YOU CAN OFFER......Page 282
G. IF ONE OF YOUR WITNESSES IS IMPEACHED......Page 283
H. PREPARING FOR CROSS-EXAMINATION......Page 284
14 CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 287
B. PREPARE AND REHEARSE YOUR CLOSING ARGUMENT BEFORE TRIAL......Page 288
C. HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 289
D. WHAT NOT TO DO IN CLOSING ARGUMENT......Page 298
E. REBUTTAL ARGUMENT......Page 299
G. SAMPLE CLOSING ARGUMENT AND OUTLINE......Page 300
15 EXHIBITS......Page 305
A. ADMITTING EXHIBITS INTO EVIDENCE: AN OVERVIEW......Page 306
B. STEP 1: MARK YOUR EXHIBITS AND SHOW THEM TO YOUR ADVERSARY......Page 308
C. STEP 2: IDENTIFY ( AUTHENTICATE) YOUR EXHIBITS......Page 309
D. STEP 3: LAY A FOUNDATION......Page 310
E. LETTING JURORS SEE YOUR EXHIBITS......Page 322
F. WHEN EXHIBITS ARE REQUIRED: THE BEST EVIDENCE RULE......Page 323
G. OBJECTING TO YOUR ADVERSARY’S EXHIBITS......Page 324
H. ORGANIZING EXHIBITS FOR TRIAL......Page 326
16 BASIC RULES OF EVIDENCE......Page 329
A. RELEVANCE......Page 330
B. EXCLUDING RELEVANT BUT UNFAIRLY PREJUDICIAL EVIDENCE......Page 333
C. THE RULE AGAINST OPINIONS......Page 334
D. THE RULE AGAINST CHARACTER EVIDENCE......Page 336
E. HEARSAY......Page 338
17 MAKING AND RESPONDING TO OBJECTIONS......Page 347
A. OBJECTIONS: AN OVERVIEW......Page 348
B. OBJECTIONS MADE BEFORE TRIAL: MOTIONS IN LIMINE......Page 349
C. HOW TO MAKE OBJECTIONS DURING TRIAL......Page 350
D. HOW TO RESPOND TO YOUR ADVERSARY’S OBJECTIONS......Page 355
E. CHECKLIST OF COMMON OBJECTIONS......Page 358
18 ORGANIZING A TRIAL NOTEBOOK......Page 365
B. INDEX TAB 1: LEGAL PLEADINGS......Page 366
C. INDEX TAB 2: DISCOVERY MATERIALS......Page 367
F. INDEX TAB 5: DIRECT EXAMINATION OUTLINES......Page 368
G. INDEX TAB 6: CROSS-EXAMINATION OUTLINES......Page 369
J. INDEX TAB 9: MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS......Page 370
19 EXPERT WITNESSES......Page 373
B. DO YOU NEED AN EXPERT WITNESS?......Page 374
C. SPECIAL RULES FOR EXPERT WITNESSES......Page 376
D. FINDING AND HIRING AN EXPERT WITNESS......Page 379
E. QUESTIONING YOUR EXPERT WITNESS AT TRIAL......Page 383
F. CROSS-EXAMINING YOUR OPPONENT’S EXPERT WITNESS......Page 389
20 WHEN YOUR TRIAL ENDS: JUDGMENTS & APPEALS......Page 393
A. HOW FINAL DECISIONS ARE MADE AT THE END OF TRIAL......Page 395
B. REQUESTING A NEW TRIAL OR CHANGE IN THE VERDICT......Page 397
C. APPEALS......Page 399
D. COLLECTING AND PAYING JUDGMENTS......Page 403
21 REPRESENTING YOURSELF IN DIVORCE COURT......Page 407
A. FORMULATE A DIVORCE GAME PLAN......Page 410
B. THE BASICS OF FAMILY LAW EXPLAINED......Page 419
C. FILING FOR DIVORCE......Page 427
D. HOW UNCONTESTED DIVORCES WORK......Page 430
E. WHAT HAPPENS IN A CONTESTED DIVORCE......Page 434
F. MODIFICATION OF SUPPORT, CUSTODY AND VISITATION......Page 440
22 REPRESENT YOURSELF IN BANKRUPTCY COURT......Page 443
A. AN OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY......Page 447
B. The Meeting of Creditors (341(a) Hearing)......Page 450
C. THE AUTOMATIC STAY......Page 454
D. OBJECTIONS TO EXEMPTIONS......Page 459
E. OBJECTIONS TO THE DISCHARGE OF DEBTS......Page 462
F. REAFFIRMING A DEBT......Page 467
G. HELP BEYOND THIS BOOK......Page 471
23 GETTING HELP FROM ATTORNEYS: HIRING A LEGAL COACH......Page 475
A. WHY CONSULT A LAWYER?......Page 476
B. HOW TO FIND AND SELECT A QUALIFIED LEGAL COACH......Page 480
C. KEEPING LAWYER BILLS DOWN......Page 485
24 LEGAL RESEARCH......Page 489
A. WHAT YOU MAY WANT TO RESEARCH......Page 490
B. SOURCES OF INFORMATION......Page 493
C. RESOLVING LEGAL RESEARCH PROBLEMS......Page 504
GLOSSARY......Page 505
INDEX......Page 521