You don’t need to commit a crime to be sued for something. Not every type of harm is a criminal offense. Civil court exists to decide upon disagreements that people could not settle on their own, not to determine whether a law was broken.
You get a puic defender in crimimal courts because it is the state accusing you of wrongdoing and attempting to limit your rights. In civil court, it is another private citizen or entity, and they are looking to enforce their rights, not strip yours.
You don’t need to commit a crime to be sued for something. Not every type of harm is a criminal offense. Civil court exists to decide upon disagreements that people could not settle on their own, not to determine whether a law was broken.
You get a puic defender in crimimal courts because it is the state accusing you of wrongdoing and attempting to limit your rights. In civil court, it is another private citizen or entity, and they are looking to enforce their rights, not strip yours.
So what happens if you get sued in civil court and you can’t afford a lawyer, do you just have to represent yourself?
That depends. Depending on the situation, you may be able to find a lawyer willing to do pro bono work.
But that would be an agreement between you and the lawyer volunteering their time and expertise; the government wouldn’t be involved.
Barring a lawyer willing to represent you pro bono, then yes — you pay for your own lawyer or you represent yourself.
Yup.