LIMITED ASSISTANCE REPRESENTATION (LAR)

Typically, lawyers represent clients for a whole case. However, there is a way to get legal help just for part of a case. This is called “Limited Assistance Representation” or “LAR.” With LAR, you and a lawyer agree what parts of a case you will handle and what parts the lawyer will handle. In other words, you limit what the lawyer does. That’s why it is called “Limited Assistance Representation.”

You can use LAR for any part of a case, including helping you with legal documents, arguing for you in a court event, or negotiating a settlement.

In LAR, you and a certified LAR lawyer agree that the lawyer will only do a certain list of things for you. 

Certified LAR lawyers may:

• Advise you if LAR is right for you.

• Explain what parts of the case you may be able to do by yourself and which parts would be better for a lawyer to handle.

• Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your case and figure out the steps you should take. 

• Review legal documents, explain them to you and advise you how to respond.

• Coach you on how to represent yourself in court.

• Represent you at a negotiation, mediation, hearing or trial.

• Help you put evidence together.

• Do legal research and explain it to you.

• Prepare court documents for you to file yourself — for example, complaints, answers, discovery and motions. This is sometimes called ghostwriting.