Litigants in person: guidelines for lawyers

Our guidelines offer practical advice for lawyers facing litigants in person in the civil courts and tribunals.

The guidelines discuss the:

  • relationship between the client’s interest and the interests of the administration of justice
  • extent to which a lawyer can properly help a litigant in person
  • role of McKenzie Friends

There are also notes to explain a lawyer’s duties to their client and their responsibilities to the court. You may want to give these to your client or a litigant in person

We jointly prepared the guidelines with the Bar Council and CILEx.

While care has been taken to ensure these notes are accurate, up to date and useful, no legal liability will be accepted in relation to them.

Further resources

You may also be interested in Resolution's good practice guide.

Maximise your Law Society membership with My LS