Independent, practical help for litigants in person in England & Wales.
256 results
Written by John Barwell
Missed a directions deadline? The sanction takes effect automatically, and the way back is an application for relief from sanctions under CPR 3.9. This guide follows one worked breach – a late witness statement – through the three Denton stages, the application notice and the witness statement in support, and explains why it is a different remedy from setting aside a default judgment.
Written by John Barwell
A default judgment is not the end of a case. Part 13 of the Civil Procedure Rules builds in two routes back — one mandatory, one discretionary — and the route you take decides what you must prove. This guide sets out both routes, the promptness requirement the rule itself names, and the evidence an application has to carry.
Written by John Barwell
Complaining about a lawyer is a two-stage process governed by three clocks: the firm’s eight weeks, six months from the final response, and one year from the problem. This guide sets out the Legal Ombudsman route as it works in 2026 — the April 2023 scheme rules, the £50,000 compensation cap, the £400 case fee (paid by firms, not complainants), current timescales, and what complainants can realistically expect.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunal conduct may be disruptive in effect while mental impairment remains relevant to its cause. This article examines evidence, non-attendance, costs, unless orders, strike-out and fairness to both parties.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunals have broad powers to support vulnerable parties. But an impaired litigant in person may struggle to identify the barrier, explain its functional effect and provide the evidence needed for a proportionate adjustment.
Written by John Barwell
Employment Tribunal proceedings do not inevitably cause mental illness. But for a litigant in person, self-representation can add anxiety, cognitive load and procedural pressure to an already damaging workplace dispute.
Written by John Barwell
A final response may close a file, but that does not always mean the complaint has been answered. Administrative closure belongs to the process. Substantive resolution belongs to the issue.
Written by John Barwell
Outcome is not explanation. Reasons matter because they make decisions intelligible, accountable and capable of proper scrutiny.
Written by John Barwell
The first battle in an Employment Tribunal claim may be procedural. The ET1, grounds of claim and particulars can decide whether the case is clear enough to survive early pressure.
Written by John Barwell
A Legal Lens article on ET3 responses, procedural fairness and why a bare denial may not define the dispute.
