Alabama Self-Help Legal

[Denise Evans]

In Alabama, individuals can represent themselves in court.  Corporations, trusts, and LLCs cannot (because they have no true "self") except for cases in Small Claims Court.  Currently, Representative Mack Butler (R), of St. Clair and Etowah Counties, has a pending bill that would change that.  It is HB4.  It is currently in the Judiciary Committee.

Under the proposed law, single-member corporations, business entities with only one owner, and LLCs with five or fewer members, could represent themselves in court, through their owner or members. It would make evictions, collections, quiet title lawsuits, and similar cases much easier, faster, and cheaper.  Most such cases are uncontested and do not truly require a lawyer's assistance. You would be held to the same rules as lawyers, though. The court will not cut you any slack if you do not know the rules of evidence or procedure.

If you support this bill, please contact each member of the Judiciary Committee. Tell them you are an Alabama  small business owner, or a landlord or property manager, and often cannot afford a lawyer to protect your rights. As a result, you have no real remedies. Ask them to recommend HB4 for passage by the full House. Members of the House Judiciary Committee, and their email addresses, appear below. Unless you have popup blockers, you should be able to click on each email address in order to create the email message.

Mike Jones, Jr, Chairman (R, Escambia, Coffee, Covington) [email protected]

Jim Hill, Vice Chair (R, St. Clair) [email protected]

Thad McClammy, Ranking member (D, Montgomery) [email protected]

Mike Ball (R, Madison) [email protected]

Marcel Black (D, Lawrence, Lauderdale and Colbert) [email protected]

Paul Beckman (R, Elmore and Autauga) [email protected]

Merika Coleman-Evans (D, Jefferson) [email protected]

Dickie Drake (R, Jefferson and Shelby) [email protected]

Chris England (D, Tuscaloosa) [email protected]

David Faulker (R, Jefferson) [email protected]

Matt Fridy (R, Shelby) [email protected]

Juandalynn Givan (D, Jefferson) [email protected]

Phillip Pettus (R, Lauderdale) [email protected]

Connie Rowe (R, Walker and Blount) [email protected]