Litigant in Person: How to Survive and Succeed When the System Leaves You on Your Own

By Steve Conley, Founder of the Academy of Life Planning & Get SAFE

“He who represents himself has a fool for a client.”
— Abraham Lincoln

Perhaps that was true in the 19th century.
But in 2025, with AI, open knowledge, and solidarity between citizen investigators, that saying is being rewritten.

⚖️ A David vs Goliath Battle

When ordinary people face banks, regulators, or institutions in court, they quickly discover what David versus Goliath really means.
The other side has everything — money, lawyers, influence, time.
You, the citizen, have one thing left: truth.

But truth alone isn’t enough.
You need discipline, structure, and emotional strength — because modern litigation isn’t just about facts, it’s about survival.

At the Transparency Task Force’s recent forum on Litigants in Person (LIPs), we explored how individuals can fight back — and win — even without legal representation.
The lessons shared were hard-won through real pain, but they are also beacons of empowerment.

🧭 What It Takes to Win as a Litigant in Person

1. Procedural Mastery Is Everything

You don’t need a law degree, but you do need a system.
Every direction, order, and deadline must be logged and confirmed in writing.
Keep a master chronology and tie every claim to evidence and rule.
Cite CPR 1.1, 3.4, 24, and 32 or ET Rules 3, 38, 39, 40.
Procedure is your armour — neglect it, and the case collapses before it begins.

2. Bundle Like a Barrister

Judges lose confidence fast when bundles are messy.
Use a single, unified, paginated version.
Every paragraph in your statement should link to an exhibit — even if it hurts your case.
Integrity builds credibility; omissions destroy it.

3. Evidence Is a Story, Not a Stack

Your evidence must tell a coherent narrative — a beginning, middle, and end that aligns with the law.
Don’t drown the judge in thousands of pages.
Clarity wins over quantity.

4. Expect Psychological Warfare

Barristers are trained negotiators and psychologists.
They reframe your points, future-pace your arguments, and try to exhaust you.
Prepare emotionally. Role-play with others before your hearing.
As one participant said: “You must harden yourself — but not lose yourself.”

5. Don’t Let AI Fool You — Let It Empower You

AI is a tool, not a truth. It can hallucinate case law, so verify everything.
Used wisely, it can analyse documents, cross-reference case law, and draft precise procedural letters faster than any human could.
Used carelessly, it can sink your case.
At Get SAFE, we use AI ethically — to empower citizens, not replace experts.

🧱 The Emotional Architecture of Justice

Representing yourself isn’t just a legal act — it’s an act of courage.
Many litigants describe the process as “character assassination” or “psychological demolition.”
They emerge changed — often stronger, wiser, and determined to help others.

Leave your emotions at the courtroom door.
You’re not there to plead for sympathy.
You’re there to argue the law with dignity and discipline.
That calm professionalism unnerves even the most seasoned opponent.

🧩 Ten Tactical Rules for Survival

Keep a master chronology.
Confirm all directions in writing.
Draft a “list of issues” — link each allegation to the law.
Build one coherent bundle; no multiple versions.
Cite rules and authorities in every filing.
Ask for “Stay the Order Pending Appeal.” Always.
Avoid emotional outbursts — stay composed.
Record all correspondence and service logs.
Don’t misuse Subject Access Requests as disclosure tools.
Verify all AI-generated case law before use.

💡 AI and the Future of Justice

We are entering a new age — an Age of Empowerment.
AI doesn’t make citizens foolish; it makes them formidable.

Through Get SAFE, our AI-assisted Financial Exploitation Checker and Citizen Investigator’s Playbook now help victims of financial harm organise evidence, identify red flags, and generate professional complaint letters — all for free.

It’s not legal advice; it’s empowerment — a digital suit of armour in a system that too often leaves victims naked.

🌍 A Call to Reform

Legal aid has collapsed.
Courts are overloaded.
The system relies on public ignorance to sustain imbalance.

But knowledge — when effectively applied — restores justice.
We must democratise not just finance, but law itself.
AI, transparency, and collective wisdom can finally make Lincoln’s saying obsolete.

“He who represents himself has a fool for a client.”
Not anymore.
Today, he who represents himself may just be the only honest party in the room.

🔗 Explore Tools for Self-Representation

Get SAFE: Support After Financial Exploitation
https://www.aolp.info/projects
Financial Exploitation Checker (AI-powered) – Identify red flags and generate formal letters.
Citizen Investigator’s Playbook (Notion Template) – Build your bundle and timeline like a pro.
Transparency Task Force – Join the movement for systemic reform.
https://www.transparencytaskforce.org

About Get SAFE

Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation) was born from a simple truth: too many victims of financial abuse are left to suffer in silence.

We exist for people like Ian Davis—for the ones who did everything right, only to be failed by the systems they trusted. We know that behind every vanished pension, every ignored complaint, and every stonewalled letter is a person—frightened, exhausted, and too often alone.

Get SAFE offers more than sympathy. We offer structure, support, and solidarity.
We provide a voice where there’s been silence, and clarity where there’s been confusion.
We stand beside those who have been exploited, not just to help them recover—but to help them reclaim their story and rebuild their future.

Because financial justice is not a luxury.
It’s a human right.

If you or someone you know has been affected by financial exploitation, we are here.
You are not alone.

Learn more at: Get SAFE (Support After Financial Exploitation).

APPENDIX: Core Lessons for Successful Litigants in Person

1. Procedural Mastery Is Survival

The strongest defense is procedural discipline — knowing the rules and staying organised.
- Keep a timeline ledger of all deadlines, orders, and hearings.
- Confirm directions in writing after every hearing and request formal case management orders (CMOs).
- Always cite Civil Procedure Rules (CPR) or Employment Tribunal (ET) rules when making or resisting applications.
- Frame pleadings around a list of issues that tie each allegation to a cause of action and to the evidence.

2. Bundle Management

Common trap: unnumbered or inconsistent bundles.
- Use a single, unified version; judges lose confidence if pagination is unclear.
- Include even harmful documents — omissions damage credibility more than bad evidence.
- Prioritise narrative coherence and relevance over volume.

3. Evidence as Story

“Your evidence is your narrative in formulated form.”
- Number paragraphs; cross-reference every claim to an exhibit or explain its absence.
- Map facts to law and demonstrate how your evidence satisfies each element.

4. Counterplay Against Opposing Counsel

Expect tactics like cost threats, late disclosure, or procedural overload to demoralise you.
- Maintain discipline and always cite proportionality and fairness.
- Shift burden back: propose narrower or alternative orders supported by means evidence.

5. Understanding Costs and Deposits

Costs follow the event: the loser usually pays.
- Deposit orders (e.g. £1,000 per allegation) are used to deter weak claims.
- Challenge them with means evidence and proportionality arguments.

🔹 Tactical Toolkit

Maintain a master chronology and update it in every bundle.
Draft witness statements that prove facts — not arguments.
Request reasonable adjustments early (e.g. accessibility, time extensions).
Keep meticulous records of correspondence and service logs.
Always cite rules and authorities when making or resisting applications.
Use AI tools cautiously — verify all case law. AI can “hallucinate” precedent.
Role-play your case — simulate cross-examinations to prepare emotionally.

🔹 Emotional and Psychological Readiness

Litigation is emotionally brutal: “It will change you. You must harden yourself.”
Barristers use psychological tactics — anchoring, reframing, future-pacing — to throw you off balance.
Counter with psychological education and peer role-play.
Leave your emotional baggage outside the courtroom; focus on the issue at hand.
Maintain perspective: “You don’t go to court for justice — you go for the law.”

🔹 Practical Preparation & Self-Education

Watch BBC’s “A Strange Case of Law” (Harry Potter KC).
Study Judges’ Decisions by Master of the Rolls, Evan Bell.
Read “A Lawyer’s Duty to the Court.”
Consider paralegal or secretarial legal courses.
Follow Equal Treatment Benchbook and court service templates.
Write at the top of your court notes: “Stay the order pending appeal.”
This prevents procedural traps if you need to appeal later.

🔹 Common Pitfalls

Overconfidence or emotional pleading — courts respond to law, not feelings.
Overloading with thousands of pages — focus on clarity, not quantity.
Misuse of Subject Access Requests — these are not discovery tools.
AI over-reliance — verify all sources manually.

🔹 Systemic Observations

The rise of LIPs is driven by cost, complexity, and failure of legal aid.
Judges increasingly receive training to ensure fair process for LIPs.
The court’s conscience is often your greatest ally — clarity and fairness resonate.
The trend is irreversible: litigants in person are here to stay.