If you do decide to represent yourself, you need to manage all aspects of your case.

Familiarize yourself with the local court rules. Rules and procedures vary slightly from court to court, and you need to know the rules that apply in the court that will hear your case. Obtain a copy of the local rules from your court.
Make sure your filings and documents conform to local standards. Generic forms and sample filings are available in books and on the internet. However, these generic documents may not conform to the standards of the court that will hear your case. To make sure that your documents will be accepted, ask your court for forms and sample filings.
Respond to all inquires on time. During trial preparations, you may receive inquiries from the court or the opposing party. For example, the opposing party may be entitled to "discovery"- to learn about evidence or testimony you plan to introduce ( you may be entitled to the same). If you fail to respond to such inquiries, you may limit your ability to present your case.
Rules about admissible evidence are complicated. There are many possible reasons that evidence or testimony you think is relevant and important may not be admissible in court. Since questions about what evidence is admissible are legal questions that are often contested, neither court staff nor the judge may answer them ahead of time. This can be frustrating for non-attorneys; if your case will involve contested evidence, consider again whether you need an attorney.
Make sure evidence you plan to use will be acceptable and available in court. If your case will involve evidence- documents, pictures, cost estimates, receipts, or other items - you must prepare it for court use. In particular, you must
- bring at least three copies of all documents(for the court, for the opposing party, and for yourself); and
- be able to verify that documents are what you say they are or contain accurate information.

City Of Bellefontaine

Legal Advice

Asking Court Staff

Preparing Your Case

In the Courtroom

The Role of the Judge