--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The man who acts as his own lawyer has a…" description: "\"“The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”\" — Joseph Hansen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg" --- # The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client. ![“The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.” quote by Joseph Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg) > ““The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”” [Joseph Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A self-represented legal case often leads to poor outcomes due to lack of expertise. **In simple terms:** Representing yourself in court is risky. Key Takeaway Seek professional legal counsel. Themes law self-representation risk Mood cautious realistic Type advice warning When to use this quote - court cases - contract disputes - family law - criminal defense Key Concepts legal expertise judicial process Questions to Reflect On - When is it justified to act as your own lawyer? - What are the costs of not hiring counsel? A Different Perspective Self‑representation may be necessary when resources are limited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) ## Related quotes > [If there is any truth to the old proverb that "one who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client," the Court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-a-blackmun/if-there-is-any-truth-to-the-old-proverb-that-one-who-is-his-own/) [Harry A. Blackmun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-a-blackmun/) > [He who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/he-who-is-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/) Proverb > [“Nurse: "You look like a pharmaceutical rep. you can leave samples in the closet." Joe: "I'm actually a lawyer." Nurse: "My condolences.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/nurse-you-look-like-a-pharmaceutical-rep-you-can-leave-samples-in-the/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“A good lawyer knows the law. A great lawyer knows the judge.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalen-braden/a-good-lawyer-knows-the-law-a-great-lawyer-knows-the-judge/) Magdalen Braden > [“Twain please!" Peck blubbered. "It was never personal. It was just business!" "Oh Peck, do you think I'm mad at you? 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Behave as if you cannot be touched and no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/people-are-intimidated-by-a-man-who-acts-with-no-apparent-regard-for/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [Mankind is made up of inconsistencies, and no man acts invariably up to his predominant character. The wisest man sometimes acts weakly, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/mankind-is-made-up-of-inconsistencies-and-no-man-acts-invariably-up/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) ## More by Joseph Hansen > [“Driving is so dangerous I haven't got the guts to do it sober.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/driving-is-so-dangerous-i-haven-t-got-the-guts-to-do-it-sober/) [Joseph Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/) > [“I told myself all that's wrong with us is misunderstanding. That's not good, but it's not the worst. 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"-Gay is just as good as straight," Dave said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/five-six-seven-eight-cecil-grinned-gay-is-just-as-good-as-straight/) [Joseph Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/) [Explore all 23 Joseph Hansen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/) ## More Fool quotes > [Do I look like a fool to you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/do-i-look-like-a-fool-to-you/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Not wise, perhaps, to be rude to the Pope's favorite son, but my viper tongue still required a fool now and then on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-quinn/not-wise-perhaps-to-be-rude-to-the-pope-s-favorite-son-but-my-viper/) [Kate Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-quinn/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [A fool and his money get a lot of publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-bernstein/a-fool-and-his-money-get-a-lot-of-publicity/) [Al Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-bernstein/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [Every man must wear out at least one pair of fools shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-derr-biggers/every-man-must-wear-out-at-least-one-pair-of-fools-shoes/) [Earl Derr Biggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-derr-biggers/) > [If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wc-fields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-try-again-then-quit-no-use-being-a/) [WC Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wc-fields/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [I'd be a fool to be in this for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-hinn/i-d-be-a-fool-to-be-in-this-for-the-money/) [Benny Hinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benny-hinn/) > [It is a fool of a shepherd who culls his dogs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jefferson-smith/it-is-a-fool-of-a-shepherd-who-culls-his-dogs/) [Jefferson Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jefferson-smith/) > [Prefer to be defeated in the presence of the wise than to excel among fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prefer-to-be-defeated-in-the-presence-of-the-wise-than-to-excel-among/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A mistake doesnt make you a fool, but denying it surely makes you one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-mistake-doesnt-make-you-a-fool-but-denying-it-surely-makes-you-one/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) [Browse all 5,535 Fool quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph Hansen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fool" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a1/joseph-hansen-25136_fool_the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a_483710.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The man who acts as his own lawyer has a fool for a client.” — Joseph Hansen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph Hansen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-hansen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The man who acts as his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-hansen/the-man-who-acts-as-his-own-lawyer-has-a-fool-for-a-client/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```