A Fool for a Client: Difference between revisions
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Almost always [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshaded]] by someone asking the character if he is aware of the adage. Naturally this appears quite often in [[Law Procedural|Courtroom Drama]]. In comedies, the pro se character often engages in [[Courtroom Antics]] that would get him thrown into jail in [[Real Life]], but because it is [[Played for Laughs]], the character will often get away with it. Often involves [[Talking to Himself]] when the character cross-examines himself. And it is almost guaranteed that, in response to the judge telling the character that he is "out of order", the character will yell back at the judge, "[[And Justice for All|No]], ''[[And Justice for All|you're]]'' [[And Justice for All|out of order!]]" because apparently a lot of comedy writers are also [[Al Pacino]] fans.
This being television (where any matter, no matter how complex, is wrapped up within the half-hour with time left for advertisements) there's no mention that, in the real court system, many litigants are self-represented not because they want to be, but by necessity as cases can be dragged on for years as a means to push legal fees into the five-figure range (or worse), denying justice to all but the independently wealthy.
For a small claim, or a minor infraction, the cost of a senior lawyer will often exceed the amount in dispute – to the point that an honest law firm may even remind you themselves that you are free to appear ''pro se'' or with a paralegal instead... because the legal costs are high enough that if you lose you lose, and if you win you still lose. That's not this trope. This trope is the [[Frivolous Lawsuit]] pursued with endless [[Courtroom Antics]] because [[It's the Principle of the Thing]], which typically will be played for laughs. The number of bitter divorce cases in real life where a victim has a choice between being forced to decide between taking on an involuntary ''pro se'' case or losing whatever property they gained in court to legal fees doesn't usually get acknowledged in fiction.
See also [[Informed Self Diagnosis]], the equivalent trope for medical doctors.
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