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If yous're representing yourself in courtroom, you must be able to prove your arguments by introducing either witness testimony or physical exhibits, such as receipts, photos, or other documents. Afterwards organizing and arranging these exhibits, you must substitution them with the other parties to the example and file them with the court. During the trial, the judge will review your exhibits and acknowledge them into evidence.[1]

  1. one

    Sort through your documents and other evidence. Not every certificate you have that is related to your case will necessarily be useful as an exhibit at trial. Some documents may not even be open-door under the court's rules of procedure.[ii]

    • Read through the rules of bear witness carefully and think about how you lot will institute the authenticity of each certificate. If you need to phone call a witness to establish this, brand sure the witness is included on your witness list and have the court event a subpoena if necessary.

  2. 2

    Select exhibits you desire to utilize at trial. Choose exhibits that are relevant to the arguments you plan to make at trial, and that will help prove the point yous're trying to make. Avoid redundant exhibits – just choose documents that are necessary.[3]

    • For example, if you're suing over a car accident, y'all may have multiple photos of your auto. Even though they all may be admissible, y'all only want the photos that most clearly prove the harm to your motorcar. Don't include multiple photos from the aforementioned bending, or any photos that are blurry or otherwise difficult to make out.

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  3. 3

    Create your exhibit list. Nigh courts accept a form yous must use to list the exhibits you plan to innovate at trial. Some courts as well have separate witness lists, while in many the form is a combined exhibit and witness list.[4]

    • The clerk of court tin give you a copy of the grade the court uses. You may also exist able to download the form on the courtroom'south website.

  4. four

    Make copies and sticker your exhibits. Typically, the court requires you to brand copies of each exhibit you want to have admitted into evidence, and place a specific sticker on each page that identifies the exhibit with a particular number or alphabetic character.[5]

    • Some courts crave different colored stickers for the plaintiff and the defendant in each case. Bank check with the courtroom clerk to discover out what kind of stickers you need. The clerk should also be able to tell you where you lot can buy the stickers you demand. You lot may be able to observe them at an office supply store.
    • If you're due east-filing your exhibits, you'll get through a different process of physically marking each showroom. The court will have specific instructions on how to go along. Typically you'll include a blank page that labels and numbers each exhibit.

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  1. 1

    Attach your exhibits to your court documents. If you're filing exhibits in conjunction with a complaint, reply, motility, or other court document, you typically file everything together in 1 package.

    • Some types of lawsuits require specific exhibits to exist filed along with the court documents. If the exhibits aren't included, your lawsuit may exist dismissed. For example, if you're filing a divorce petition, y'all may be required to adhere schedules or worksheets for child support and property division.

  2. two

    Due east-file your exhibits if allowed. Many courts allow you lot to file your exhibits electronically along with your complaint or motion. If this option is available to you, it can save yous a lot of time and money making copies.[6]

    • Even if yous file your exhibits, you typically still demand to bring concrete copies of your exhibits to court so the judge tin can consider them.

  3. 3

    Exchange exhibits with the other side. After both parties in a case take filed exhibits, the judge will schedule a fourth dimension for them to exist exchanged. You can look at the exhibits the other side plans to use at trial and consider whatsoever objections y'all might have to their admission.[7]

    • The deadline for exchanging exhibits typically volition exist listed in your pre-trial social club. For smaller cases, you may simply substitution exhibits a few hours earlier the trial.
    • Clarify the other side'due south exhibits advisedly, with a re-create of the court'due south rules of prove past your side. Recollect about all the reasons the showroom might be inadmissible. For example, if the other side wants to admit an email, you could object on the basis that it was hearsay.

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  1. 1

    Bring concrete copies of your exhibits to court. Even if you've e-filed your exhibits, bring at to the lowest degree 3 copies of each exhibit to court with you so it can exist considered during trial. If y'all have a jury trial, you may need more than 3 copies.[viii]

    • The clerk of court tin tell you lot exactly how many copies you'll need on the mean solar day of trial. Y'all can besides observe this same information in your courtroom's local rules.

  2. 2

    Cosign documents or photographs. Before you can admit a certificate, photograph, or other exhibit into evidence, you must show to the approximate that information technology is what you lot claim it is, and that information technology hasn't been altered in any way.[ix]

    • Review the court'south rules of evidence so you know how to authenticate the exhibit. The rules may differ depending on the type of certificate it is.

  3. iii

    Present exhibits to witnesses. Another style to lay the foundation for an exhibit's admission is to have a witness state on the stand up that the document is known to them and that it is what you merits it is.[10]

    • Ask the judge if you can approach the witness. Give them a copy of the document and ask them questions about it to establish that they can identify information technology.
    • For example, if y'all are suing a general contractor for non completing a home renovation, you may want to admit your receipt to show that you paid the contractor. You could call the contractor as a witness to lay the foundation that the receipt is legitimate and was issued past them afterward receipt of your payment.

  4. four

    Ask the judge to admit the show. In one case you've laid the foundation, present a concrete copy of the evidence and say "I movement that Plaintiff's Exhibit A exist admitted into evidence" (or whichever letter of the alphabet or number it is). If the guess agrees, you'll hand a copy to the bailiff to give to the judge.[xi]

    • If the guess refuses to admit the document, it will not be considered by either approximate or jury when deciding your case. If you believe the judge is in error, y'all may have the opportunity to appeal the guess'due south decision not to admit your evidence.
    • Make a note on your copies or on your outline of which exhibits are admitted and which aren't.

  5. 5

    Take your showroom marked. In some courts, you'll marker exhibits yourself earlier you lot enter the court. In other courts, you'll take the clerk or another court officeholder mark the exhibits in the order you innovate them into evidence.[12]

    • If you labeled your exhibits before trial, you lot may find that the showroom numbers or messages you originally used differ from those used at trial. Mark your showroom list so you can keep them straight later the fact.

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