Litigant in person: legal bundle

[Facecream]

Has anyone any experience of this, that is having to do the legal admin.
Im hoping someone knows a piece of software that will help collate and paginate the bundle without losing formatting…?
I’m losing my mind trying to put emails, medical reports etc into order without losing formatting

No experience of being a litigant in person this but can you just save them all as separate PDFs and use PDF pro or similar to collate them? There seems to be lots of free packages online or most Microsoft packages should have something? Then can add page number and write an index?

It is possible to use Word. Save each exhibit as a Word document - you can place a photograph of the doc into a word doc or use 'snipping tool' to

take a snip of the doc or pic and place it into a word doc. You then have a file of exhibits that you can cut and paste into your bundle doc. Would that help?

I used to have to make a lot of bundles. I used to use PDF pro.

Adobe DC Pro is good also but there is a subscription fee.

Thank you all.
I had tried Word but it made a mess of things so I’m going to try something else.
PDForo sounds good

Is the other party also a litigant in person?
If not and they are legally represented, then the onus is on them to prepare a bundle (after agreeing the contents with you).
I do a LOT of bundles and use Foxit (a pdf software).

I save all documents in date order in the appropriate sections, eg:
2021.09.22
2021.10.23 etc, they all then fall in chronoligal order.
In the Foxit software you can then paginated the documents from beginning to end and combine them so it is one long bundle, which saves having to open different documents.

A lot of PDF software offer a free trial, so might be worth giving one of those a go
Good luck

@Bloomingloveacurry
Thank you!
The other side has a retainer solicitor who are a very large firm worldwide. They are absolute cunts if I may say so.
Won’t answer questions - I’m trying to get the statement of case even partially agreed and just… silence.
So there’s no way they will help.
I will have a look at that software too!

@Facecream was there an order from the court ordering a bundle to be prepared for a particular hearing/trial? If so, it usually states on there that if a claimant is a litigant in person then the representatives of the other party has to prepare the bundle and file the same.

In all honesty a Judge is quite lenient with a Litigant in Person so don't stress too much about the bundle being perfect, you've put one together and had a go.

I’m a litigator - I don’t personally make up the bundles but we definitely use a PDF program. As already noted the court usually orders the represented party to deal with the admin even if it would normally be the other party. And even if it hadn’t I would always do so if the other party is representing themselves. It’s better for everyone including the court that it’s done correctly and on time and obviously it’s so much easier for the law firm involved to do it than for a litigant in person.

@Fleur405 and @Bloomingloveacurry
Thanks both.
I was trying not to say too much but it’s a case of me giving them everything and them giving nothing- they just “deny” everything (I do know the difference between denying a claim and not admitting).
And they literally don’t comply with anything.
Its a county court case at the minute but I can see it being transferred to the High Court because of the nature of it (it’s a SA case and the other side is a retainer solicitor for the NHS).
The hearing is listed for case management before any directions, which surprised me as they’d listed their draft orders etc but without disclosure- in essence the defence is character assassination of me (based on provable misrepresentation/lies) which I know sounds dramatic but it’s written proof that I have so I’m on the back foot. I’m just trying to get ahead of the case management hearing by presenting the best case that I can

@Facecream its normal to have a case management conference before directions, the court will take everything into consideration and then give you the timeline for the running of the case, one of which will be disclosure.

Bear in mind if the other side don't comply with any orders or directions made by the Court they are in danger of having their case thrown out, or having an order made against them in your favour

They have to prepare the bundle not you. Send all your document clearly marked with a table of contents
appendix 1 text messages highlighted showing x etc

but in your email a full list of documents. Print them all out in order.

eg witness statement so on and the SCAN the whole lot all together with page numbers as a pdf
email it to them and copy the court in saying this should be included in the bundle etc

print Out 4 copies minimum for court in case the other side Miss off a document
hole punch and put tags in each copy and refer to by page number

include as an appendix all correspondence with their solicitor including attempts to contact them or lack of correspondence etc for each of these appendixes put a brief summary and highlight off any important bits in bright yellow etc * email I sent to x on y date saying z

it will cost a fortune in photocopying but if he has a shitty solicitor and you are not represented they should help you and a judge won’t be happy that they haven’t

take everything to court - a mini suitcase is best

book a room away from him and take a friend for support

@MissEnolaHolmes
Thank you, that’s a lovely supportive post. You made my day 😊