State court officials are concerned about a growing number of people trying to represent themselves at trial. Ann Zimmerman, the statewide pro se coordinator for the State Supreme Court, says such litigants often don't understand what they're doing, don't have the right paperwork, and frequently clog up the justice system.
Zimmerman says court officials want to improve access for those who choose to self-represent in civil cases. Some of the solutions include educational materials and easier to understand court documents. She says the focus needs to be on simplifying the process to help them along.
Over half the civil cases in some Wisconsin counties are already done with self-representation. Zimmerman says a new system is clearly needed to help those people because the current one isn't working. She says the legal process is meant to be carried out with an attorney, and not having one puts people at a large disadvantage.
The topic is the focus of a legal conference being held this week in Wausau.