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A litigant in person is someone who takes part in a court case without a solicitor or barrister acting for them. You may also hear the shorter form “LiP”. The term applies whether you are the person bringing the claim (the claimant) or the person defending it (the defendant). Representing yourself is your right. In civil cases in England and Wales, you are not required to have a lawyer, and a large and growing number of people handle their disputes on their own, often because paying for representation throughout a case is beyond their means.

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What a litigant in person has to do

Representing yourself means you take on the tasks a solicitor would otherwise handle. In broad terms, that includes:
  • Understanding which rules and deadlines apply to your case
  • Setting out your side of the dispute in the documents the court expects
  • Gathering and organising your evidence
  • Following the correct steps before and during a claim
  • Speaking for yourself at any hearing
The court holds litigants in person to the same rules as represented parties. Judges are often willing to explain procedure and will make reasonable allowances for someone without legal training, but the underlying obligations, the deadlines, the required documents, the standard of evidence, do not change because you are unrepresented.

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Where people find it hardest

The most common difficulties are not about the strength of someone’s case. They are about structure: knowing which stage a claim is at, which document is needed next, how to lay out evidence so a judge can follow it, and how to keep track of dates. A great deal of the effort of self-representation is organisation rather than argument.

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Getting help without handing the case over

Representing yourself is not all-or-nothing. Some people use free advice services, some bring in a solicitor or barrister only at a particular stage, and some use a McKenzie friend for support at a hearing. You can move between these as a case develops.
Portia is a document-organisation tool for people handling civil disputes in England and Wales. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Learn what Portia does.