How to prepare and present a winning civil court case Many disputes are too big for small claims court but too small to justify a lawyer’s fee. Fortunately, if you are willing to learn the courtroom ropes, you can successfully handle your own case from start to finish. Represent Yourself in Court breaks the pretrial and trial process down into easy-to-understand steps. Armed with these clear and thorough instructions, you’ll be well prepared to: file court papers present an opening statement deal with pretrial issues cross-examine hostile witnesses handle depositions make and respond to objections pick a jury if necessary get help from an attorney or legal coach discover, obtain and prepare your evidence deal with the court clerk and judge line up and prepare witnesses Whether you are a plaintiff or a defendant, this book will help you handle a bankruptcy, divorce, landlord-tenant dispute, breach of contract case, small business dispute-or any other civil lawsuit. This new edition is completely updated to include the latest rules and court procedures.