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→Representing yourself
There is no rule that says that you must have a lawyer represent you in court. Although a court proceeding can be complicated to manage and the rules of court can be confusing, you have the right to represent yourself.
If you do decide to represent yourself in a court proceeding, you have a responsibility to the other parties and to the court to have a general understanding of learn about the law that applies to your proceeding and of the procedural rules that govern common litigation court processes , like document disclosure and discovery , and common court processes , like making and replying to interim applications.
A good start would be to read through the other sections in this chapter, covering [[The Court System for Family Matters|the court system]], [[The Law for Family Matters|the law]], and [[You & Your Lawyer|the role of lawyers]], as well as the chapter on [[Resolving Family Law Problems in Court]]. You might also want to read a short note I've written for people who are representing themselves in a court proceeding, "[[Media:SRL_Bill_of_Rights_and_Responsibilities_-_November_2012_-_JP_Boyd.pdf|The Rights and Responsibilities of the Self-Represented Litigant]]" (PDF).