The court has helpful resources for those people who are representing themselves. When you are without an attorney, you are proceeding "pro se." If you represent yourself in court, you are called a "pro se litigant" or a "self-represented litigant." A civil case generally refers to all cases other than criminal cases. A civil case is the only type of case you can start without an attorney.  In a civil case, you do not have a constitutional right to a lawyer appointed by the court. Therefore, if you start a civil case as a pro se litigant, you should be prepared to complete it on your own.