This Handbook is designed to help people dealing with civil lawsuits in federal court without legal representation. Proceeding without a lawyer is called proceeding "pro se1," a Latin phrase meaning "for oneself," or sometimes "in propria persona," meaning "in his or her own person." Representing yourself in a lawsuit can be complicated, time consuming, and costly. Failing to follow court procedures can mean losing your case. For these reasons, you are urged to work with a lawyer if possible. Chapter 2 gives suggestions on finding a lawyer. Do not rely entirely on this Handbook. This Handbook provides a summary of civil lawsuit procedures, but it may not cover all procedures that may apply in your case. It also does not teach you about the laws that will control your case. Make sure you read the applicable federal and local court rules and do your own research at a law library or online to understand your case. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has Clerk's Offices in the San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland courthouses. Clerk's Office staff can answer general questions, but they cannot give you any legal advice. For example, they cannot help you decide what to do in your lawsuit, tell you what the law means, or even advise you when documents are due. There are Legal Help Centers in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose courthouses where you can get free help with your lawsuit from an attorney who can help you prepare documents and give limited legal advice. This attorney will not be your lawyer and you will still be representing yourself. See Chapter 2 for more details.

For both the general practitioner and the matrimonial specialist, Collier Family Law and the Bankruptcy Code is a comprehensive, practice-oriented guide examining the impact of the Bankruptcy Code on family law issues. Authored by Henry J. Sommer, co-Editor-in-Chief of Collier on Bankruptcy, the preeminent treatise on bankruptcy law, and Hon. Margaret Dee McGarity, a United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Coverage includes: • Overview of the bankruptcy process • Overlap of bankruptcy court jurisdiction and state family court jurisdiction • Determining the debtor's interest in marital property • Special issues involving community property • Effects of Chapter 13 on current alimony and support obligations and on modification and enforcement of support obligations • Effect of the automatic stay on on-going family court actions First published in 1991.