Can you represent yourself at court?

Can you represent yourself at conciliation?

Yes, and at this stage you have to. Solicitors cannot represent either party at the conciliation run by the Department of Industrial Relations, so both sides attend without a lawyer in the room.¹

An employment lawyer can still prepare you beforehand. Knowing what to expect often shapes the session more than anything said on the day.

Can you represent yourself at the Industrial Court?

Yes, but the setting is more formal than conciliation. There are rules on how documents are submitted, how witnesses are questioned and how arguments are set out.

Your employer must prove just cause or excuse for the dismissal.² You still need to prepare to answer their case, whoever carries that burden.

What gets harder without a lawyer?

Presenting documents correctly, questioning witnesses fairly and answering legal arguments on the spot all take experience. None of it is impossible alone. You simply learn it under real pressure.

Written submissions reward a trained eye, because small choices in structure change how clearly your case reads. A missed procedural step can also slow a case in ways that are hard to see coming.

What should you do before deciding?

Ask a lawyer to review your documents and outline what a hearing would involve for your case, even if you plan to speak for yourself later. Early advice followed by self-representation is a real middle path, not an all-or-nothing choice.

It gives you a clearer view of the risks before you stand in front of the court.

Check your Industrial Court timeline, and your remaining window on the deadline calculator, before you decide how to run your Section 20 claim.

If you would rather have a lawyer act for you, request lawyer contact first; only after an identified independent lawyer has contacted you and specifically requested the material, send your dates and documents for review.