Through my Understanding the Law podcast and video series I attempt to answer general questions about legal and business matters for subscribers. One of the most frequent questions I receive is, "Why won't an attorney take my case on a contingency basis?" People often say, "I see it on the TV or Internet all the time that an attorney will accept a contingency fee, but why won't an attorney accept my case?" In this post, I am going to explain why an attorney may refuse to acce

Let's face it, not too many New Jersey small business owners get excited about having to hire an attorney. The first thought popping into most people's heads when facing the prospect of having to deal with a lawsuit is, "maybe this is something that I can handle myself." But can you? Should you? Here is what you need to know. Pro Se When a party or individual represents itself in a legal matter, it is called "pro se" representation. Pro se is Latin for "for oneself" or "on

The Latin term “pro se” means “on one’s own behalf,” and many courts have adopted pro se rules allowing individuals to represent themselves in litigation, including appearing in court without a lawyer. For civil (i.e., non-criminal) cases in federal courts, the right to act pro se is spelled out in §1654 of Title 28 of the United States Code, which allows parties to “plead and conduct their own cases personally or by counsel,” subject to court rules. State rules vary, but nea