What Are Your Options?
If you do not hire your own lawyer, then you have two options:
Appear By Yourself
This option is definitely not for everyone because some people find courtrooms to be very stressful places and they do not really know what to say anyway. They probably do not know about sentencing options, mitigating factors, spent conviction orders, or what documentation to hand up to the Court.
If you would not risk operating on yourself without the help of a doctor, then why risk going to court without the help of a lawyer?
See the Duty Lawyer
Legal Aid often provides a duty lawyer to help people who have not hired their own lawyers. The service costs up to $20.00 or so, depending on your financial situation. The process of waiting to see and then waiting to be represented by the duty lawyer can be time consuming. Also, there is less opportunity to prepare for court, such as gathering documentation in support of a spent conviction application.
The duty lawyer is a valuable service but it does not suit everyone and is not available for appearances in the District or Supreme Courts in any event.