Self Rep Lawyer

About Self Rep Lawyer

Self Rep Lawyer is the practice of James Cooper, a lawyer based in Richmond Hill who primarily works with self-represented litigants. Rather than taking on full-scope representation, Cooper offers unbundled, task-by-task legal help: evidence consultation, case law research, drafting of pleadings, affidavits, factums, and contracts, and settlement negotiations. The practice covers civil litigation, family law, and corporate or commercial disputes, and it serves clients across the Greater Toronto Area, including Thornhill, Markham, North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, and Newmarket, as well as elsewhere in Ontario. Consultations happen mostly by phone rather than in an office, a setup suited to clients who only need help with one part of their case.

Cooper also works with other lawyers and law firms, providing case law research and help testing the strength of a position before it goes to court, an approach the firm's own site describes as war-gaming a case. Cooper has delivered Law Society of Ontario continuing education presentations on legal research and practice management and belongs to the Law Society's Coach and Advisor Network. Writing on the firm's site cites an estimate from the Self-Represented Litigants Project that about 75% of self-represented litigants lose when facing an opponent with counsel, part of the reasoning behind offering narrowly scoped, lower cost help instead of an all-or-nothing choice between full representation and none. (Fees as of September 2026.)