You have the right to represent yourself in court and are not required to be represented by attorney. If you can get a lawyer, however, it is a good idea to do so. New Jersey laws, the proofs necessary to present your case, and the procedural rules governing your case are complex. Since valuable claims or large judgments may be at stake, most litigants appearing in the Law Division, Civil Part have a lawyer.
If you are being sued or are filing a lawsuit and you want to be represented by an attorney, you have several options. If you can afford an attorney, you can hire an attorney on your own. If you cannot afford an attorney, you can contact the legal services program in your county or the Legal Services of New Jersey to see if you qualify for free or reduced fee legal services. There are also a variety of organizations of minority lawyers throughout New Jersey, as well as organizations of lawyers who handle specialized types of cases. Contact information for the Lawyer Referral and Legal Services Office of New Jersey is available on our Self Help Resource Center forms page.