filing a claim?

Question

MY case is not a small claims matter. I'm having a difficulty time find a lawyer to help me b/c I can't afford to pay them. How and where can I file a lawsuit against an individual?

Answer 1

If you cannot afford a lawyer you can apply for legal aid, they can provide free or low cost legal services, they can also represent you in court and act on your behlaf, they are government founded organisations, however an application should be made setting out the nature of your case and why you should be granted legal aid.

As to filling a claim then that can be done without having a lawyer, it can be done in the courts registry, it depends on the nature of your case as to where to file the claim, you haven't given enough info here that indicates what court hears your claim, however as soon as you find out the court that has the jurisdiction to hear your case then the courts website should provide info as to how claims are filed in that court, as different courts have different methods and procedures on filling claims.

good luck

Answer 2

You may want to contact the bar association.

However, the fact that you are having a hard time finding a lawyer could be a tip off. If the lawyer thinks you have a good winnable case and money will be paid out - they will often take it on a contingency basis (a "I don't get paid if you don't get paid" type of thing). If the only lawyers that will take your case require payment up front - that's a good sign that 1. you may not have a good case 2. you have a good case there are just no damages involved so even if you win you will not get paid much so the lawyer will not get paid much 3. the person you want to sue does not have a pot to piss in so even if you win - odds of actually getting paid are slim to none.

You may want to take a real good look at what your wanting to sue about.