If you're considering representing yourself in a legal matter, either fully or partially with the help of a legal coach, there are some questions you should ask yourself first. Self-representation is a big undertaking and everyone should undertake it with their eyes wide open. Going through the process below can help you make the right decision for you and your case.

Step 1: Analyze your Case

As best you can, objectively analyze your case. You may need some help to get a full analysis of all the issues, laws and options, but you can start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How are relations between you and the other side? Can you see yourself having constructive conversations with them? Even if the other side is represented, a high-conflict, antagonistic dynamic may be mitigated by the buffer of a lawyer or two. Self-representation increases the chance of direct contact with the other side.

• Are there any important dates you aren't able to meet on your own? Depending on your case, you may have an appearance or a step coming up requiring a skill you don't have time to learn. If you are caught unawares with an imminent deadline, you might want to hand your case over to a lawyer who is already prepared to act. You can always change to self-representation once you no longer have anything so pressing.

• Do you want to take a greater role in your case? Perhaps you have talked to some lawyers and no one seems to get your case or consider it with merit or worth pursuing. If you're in this situation and you still believe your case is worth pursuing for you, self- or partial-representation might be a better option. Any lawyer giving you help would be duty-bound to provide their opinion on the merits of your case, but when you represent yourself you get to make the decisions.

• Is your case too complex, is this an undecided or new area of the law, are the stakes too high? If so, full-representation might be better for you.

Step 2: Analyze Yourself

Next, honestly assess what skills, attributes and experiences you have that would be an asset while representing yourself and areas where you need help. Start with the list below of essential litigation skills, noting the skills you already have, the ones you're willing to learn and those you'd prefer not to have to deal with:

• Organization, including organizing papers, thoughts, facts and details in logical order

• Summarizing information into an easy to read format

• Preparing chronologies

• Writing, including filling out forms, writing clearly and concisely

• Following instructions, rules, and procedure

• Public speaking, including presentation, staying calm, thinking on your feet, listening, and note-taking

• Analysis, including investigation and information gathering (organization skills come in handy here as well), research, analysis of documents, finances and numbers, analysis for decision-making and formulating arguments

• Strong work habits, including discipline, attention to detail, accuracy, following through, meeting deadlines, and persisting through difficulty

Step 3: Analyze your Resources

Litigation can take a lot out of you. You need to assess what you have to give and your ability to replenish yourself. Consider the following:

• What is your budget? Try getting a quote from a full-representation lawyer as well as limited-representation lawyer before deciding which way to go (many full and limited-representation lawyers offer free consultations). You might find you can afford more than you thought, in which case, full representation might be preferable. But if you have a limited budget for legal services, partial-representation can give you more control over your legal expenses.

• Do you have the time? Litigation can take a lot of time, which is why full representation can get very expensive - it takes a lot of hours. How will you fit this into your schedule? Do you have a flexible job? During some parts of your case, such as trial, you may need to take time off work.

• What other responsibilities do you have? Will you have the energy to take on your case, if you have other big, unpredictable, stressful things going on in your life?

• Do you have help? If you do have a lot of other responsibilities, can you delegate or get support from others?

• How are you going to take care of yourself? Litigation is stressful, time-consuming and isolating: it can affect the rest of your life. How are you going to make sure you have enough time and energy to take care of the rest of your life? What are you going to do to rest and unwind and deal with stress? Can you enforce a line between your "work" life and your personal life?

Step 4: Analyze your Mind

Finally, plan for the mental challenges of litigation, not just in completing the work, but in keeping yourself in a helpful frame of mind. Take a little time to assess your mindset:

• Can you remain calm under pressure? Not just in terms of stage fright, but can you remain calm and centered when things don't go according to plan or in high-conflict situations?

• Can you reach out for and accept help?

• Can you handle being a beginner and persevering?

• Are you willing to take the risk of being wrong? What would being wrong mean for you?

• Can you stay objective about your own case? Do you feel yourself getting emotional when you start thinking or talking about your case? Do you easily get emotional when defending any kind of position or in disagreement? It is probably impossible to fully divorce yourself from the feelings your own case can bring up, but can you put those aside and see your case at least mostly objectively?

Step 5: Ask the Question

Now that you've gone through this analysis, ask yourself if you believe the advantages of partial self-representation outweigh the potential disadvantages and risks.

If you're still unsure,  take this self-assessment quiz, or book a free consultation with us to talk.