In Propria Persona/In Pro Per Law and Legal Definition
In Propria Persona is a Latin Phrase which means "in the person of yourself.”. "In Pro Per" is a short form of the Latin phrase, "In Propria Persona”. The full term of "In Propria Persona" is hardly ever used in court. A person who is acting In Pro Per is called a Pro Per. The terms Pro Per and Pro Se are equivalent in court. “Pro-Se” refers to representing yourself in any type of legal matter without the benefit of legal counsel.
A petitioner in pro per is a person who appears before a Court without a legal representative or lawyer. Every state in United States allows individuals to represent themselves inside the court room or handle their own legal issues without the help of a lawyer. In divorce cases, a petitioner can appear in the court without the assistance of a lawyer and present his/her case. Generally, it is not necessary for a person to be represented by a lawyer in cases related to family matters. Pursuant to Cal Fam Code § 3121, a party who lacks the financial ability to hire an attorney may request, as an in pro per litigant, that the court order the other party, if that other party has the financial ability, to pay a reasonable amount to allow the unrepresented party to retain an attorney in a timely manner before proceedings in the matter go forward.
