Going to the Family Court without a lawyer

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Overview

You can represent yourself in the Family Court. This means you’ll not have a lawyer to support you in the courtroom.

In this section

Understand how to represent yourself Find information about what you'll be expected to do if you represent yourself in the Family Court. Present your case in the Family Court Understand what happens in the court room when you represent yourself.

Representing yourself can be hard

Some people can find it hard to represent themselves in the Family Court because their case can be personal. Seeing your whānau against you in court can be tough on you emotionally. Representing yourself means following court process exactly right and staying calm in the courtroom when you see the other people involved in the case.

You can get legal advice at any time

You can get legal advice at any time even if you decide to represent yourself in the Family Court. A lawyer is an expert in the legal system. They can help you:

understand the law and how it applies to your situation
understand complex legal terms
fill in application forms
respond to a notice of application
write affidavits
question witnesses at hearings.

If you can’t afford to pay for your own private lawyer, you may be eligible for funded legal services such as legal aid.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Going to Family Court can be hard. It's normal to feel overwhelmed. There are services available to help and support through this time.

Visit our help page