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Supreme Court of New South Wales
Representing yourself in civil proceedings
Warning alert
None of the information set out in this section should be interpreted as:
a substitute for legal advice
a substitute for legislative requirements or court rules
specifically relevant to probate applications
applicable to criminal proceedings.
Self-represented litigants
Everyone has the right to have their legal dispute resolved by a court or tribunal. Because the law is complicated, it is generally better for people who are involved in a court case to have a lawyer (a solicitor or barrister). But not everyone does.
The term "self-represented litigant" is often applied to people who decide to run their own court proceedings without a legal representative.
This section of the website is specifically aimed at assisting:
self-represented litigants currently involved in ongoing civil proceedings
people considering commencing new proceedings at the Supreme Court without legal representation
people who currently have a lawyer in an ongoing civil case but are investigating the possibility of representing themselves in the future.
The aim of the content presented here is to help people:
understand the Court's most important rules and procedures which must be followed by everyone, whether or not they have a lawyer
locate court rules relevant to civil proceedings, and other helpful resources, easily and quickly.
Is the Supreme Court the right place to start your case?
Where to go, what to bring, what to say and do
Rules, forms and how to visit the Registry
Filing documents, attending hearings
Judgments, costs and more
The importance of courtesy
Last updated:
29 Oct 2023
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