The Maricopa County Superior Court reports that 70% or more of family court litigants represent themselves.

The court has responded by piloting an Informal Family Law Trial. It condenses the process, lets the judge guide the parties through it, and removes cross-examination. In the court’s own words, litigants will not need to understand the rules of evidence to present their case. The judge decides how much each statement matters.

What that establishes: in a room without attorneys, the person who presents the clearest account of what happened gives the judge the most to work with.

What I see after 26 years in behavior

Most self-represented parents are not short on facts. They are short on organization.

They arrive with months of events held in memory, shaped by stress. They describe conclusions: “They are controlling.” “They are impossible.” What a judge can weigh is conduct: what was said, what was done, on what date, and in what words.

Judges do not rule on feelings. They r...