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The Self-Represented Litigants Project of the Court Services division of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice surveyed judges, court staff and self-represented litigants (SRLs) to identify the greatest needs for courts and SRLs and to make recommendations to improve services and develop realistic programs for people representing themselves. The project team also observed 20 court hearings that involved the participation of one or more SRLs. The research confirmed that people representing themselves’ lack of knowledge puts them at a disadvantage in their proceedings, most commonly in relation to family, criminal and small claims matters. The inability to properly represent themselves stems from a lack of knowledge about the pre-filing preparations such as filling out forms, the rules of evidence, and how to present a case. A lack of awareness of where to obtain legal information and the inability to distinguish between legal information and legal advice is also a factor. The study made 20 recommendations for ways to improve the ability of self represented litigants to represent themselves effectively.