Served with legal documents: do I use a lawyer or do it myself?

If you have been served with legal documents, you may consider going to court yourself or paying a lawyer to go for you on your behalf.  Here are some reasons why you might want to consider investing in using a lawyer:

1. Lawyers have studied law at university which means they have the requisite knowledge to deal with legal issues that might arise during your court case;
2. Lawyers are professionals, which means they have to abide by ethical standards of conduct;
3. Lawyers are covered by insurance if anything goes wrong;
4. Going to court can be very stressful and if you have never done it before, then it may be intimidating when you have to speak to the judge and any opposing lawyer or barrister;
5. A lawyer has an obligation to act in your best interests, subject to the overriding duty to the Court;
6. A lawyer will be able to put your best case to the Court, to give you the best opportunity to win your case or achieve your objective.
7. You will save a lot of time, as court delays and hearings can take hours if not days;
8. A lawyer will be able to explain to you what options you have and what happens using plain English;
9. A lawyer can save you thousands of dollars in the event you lose your case and have to pay legal costs, in ensuring that the opposing party is not overreaching;
10. Being self represented means you are not generally entitled to seek legal costs at Court, whereas a lawyer can;
11. A skilled litigation lawyer has years of experience, and will be able to advise you on your best case based on that experience.

There are many other reasons why a lawyer experienced in the particular field of law is the best choice for you.  Please feel free to call Kristine Hopkins on 03 9607 8279 if you would like to discuss an upcoming court appearance.  Kristine is experienced in civil procedure, commercial litigation and insolvency and appropriate dispute resolution methods.  She has successfully prosecuted and defended cases on behalf of clients since being admitted as lawyer of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2006.   Read more about her in her bio page.