Unpopular opinion: talking to a judge without a lawyer is a bad idea

My neighbor tried representing himself in traffic court last week and somehow ended up with a $500 fine instead of the $50 he was expecting. Has anyone else seen DIY legal stuff blow up in someone's face?

2 comments

2 Comments

alices161mo ago

Changed my mind about this after watching my uncle try to do his own divorce papers online. He thought he was saving money but ended up in court for six months because of one wrong checkbox. Some things are just worth paying a professional for, you know?

paul_thompson671mo ago

@alices16 nailed it with the divorce example. My buddy tried to handle a speeding ticket on his own and argued with the judge about radar gun calibration. Judge wasn't having it and doubled the fine plus added court costs. He walked in thinking he was saving two hundred bucks and left owing nearly six hundred. The worst part is he watched a YouTube video that told him to try that argument. Some things really are better left to people who do it for a living. Has anyone else had a DIY court experience go completely sideways?