Self-Represented Litigant Outcome Studies

Empirical data on self-represented litigant (SRL) outcomes. Working patterns and research references.

Background

Self-represented litigants (SRLs) are parties without attorney representation. SRL rates:

• 50%+ of family court cases
• 70%+ of landlord-tenant cases
• 95%+ of small claims

Empirical patterns

Outcome data

SelfHelp.gov and state studies (2020-2024):

• SRLs win 30-50% of family cases (vs. 60-70% with attorney)
• SRLs win 50-65% of landlord-tenant cases
• SRLs win 50% of small claims

Time and cost

SRLs spend:

• 3-5x more time on case preparation (no lawyer experience)
• 2-3x more court appearances (procedural mistakes)
• Significant cost on legal forms and document preparation

Procedural issues

Common SRL procedural errors:

• Missing deadlines (calendar navigation)
• Wrong filing format
• Incomplete forms
• Improper service of process
• Failure to appear

Equity considerations

SRL rates correlate with:

• Income (low income → high SRL rate)
• Race (Black and Hispanic households → high SRL rate)
• Education
• Language access

Working AI patterns

Self-help portals

Working patterns:

• Plain-language form fillers
• Step-by-step guided forms
• Document automation
• Deadline tracking

Document automation

Tools:

• HotDocs (legacy, paid)
• Docassemble (open-source)
• A2J Author (open-source)
• Form-Filler (open-source)

Virtual assistants

Working patterns:

• Court navigation assistant
• Form completion guidance
• Deadline reminders
• Resource directory

Document review

AI assists:

• Pre-filing review
• Procedural check
• Citation verification

Acknowledgments

This article summarizes public sources including SelfHelp.gov, state court SRL studies, NCSC publications.

Dillon Deutsch has worked with self-help portal systems. https://courtgpt.ai