Tips for the Self-Represented Litigant

Pro Se or Self-Represented Litigant (SRLs) is a person who appears in court without the assistance of a lawyer. They are also referred to as "pro se litigant". The court resources like staff administrative function knowledge, court documents, court library resources, court library data base systems, law journals, law news papers, and other mediation negotiation materials will be helpful to use for a self-represented litigant. According to a national research center called "Self-Represented Litigation Network", an estimated 3 out of 5 people in civil cases go to court without a lawyer. The civil rights of SRLs are governed by their own self-determination of going to court without a lawyer representing them. In many legal cases there are new innovate and evidence-based solutions that SRLs can use to help argue their civil legal case.

The goal of the Justice system is to provide assistance through the courts that are based on a human centered design. The justice system uses the social aspects of interacting with SRLs through a sense of empathy, compassion, and human intelligence gathering methods to help resolve cases. SRLs have the right to seek a judgement in court or through alternative dispute resolution methods. The goals of the court staff is to provide user-friendly thinking skills, empathy, flexibility of schedules, willingness to cooperate, adaptability to conflicts, responsiveness, appreciation for feedback and acquisition to SRLs.

Types of mediations that are normally negotiated through mediation practices are the following:

Expired Statue of Limitations Contracts
Repayment of undocumented personnel loan: no contract
Identity theft claims with creditors or debt collector services
Credit card in arrears
Employer to pay medical bills
Property liens
Proper notice claims
Stolen auto in accident
Ceased operations by contractor or business agreement
Auto Lien dispute
Auto insurance subrogation
Property damages
Contractor miscalculations
Non-payment of salary (private business and corporations)
Employment / discharge dispute (non-payment)
Indemnity settlement (A contractual agreement between two parties and one party agrees to pay for potential losses or damages caused by another party.)
Incomplete/ inadequate work completed by a contractor

There are other types of mediation cases that can heard through dispute resolution however these are some of the recent mediation cases. Major companies for credit cards, loan operators, banks, debt collector services are the majority of people who are a party of a mediation.