What procedures are available to a pro-se tenant answering the non-payment petition?
If a pro-se tenant appears in court and does the basic oral answer, with the clerk filling out the card w/checkboxes, can the pro-se tenant (or her council if she later retains one) easily amend the answer to include all the various defenses and counterclaims she will need?
Can an amended answer of this type be easily opposed by the LL and prevented, thereby destroying a large part of the tenant's potential case?
My instinct is to just fill out the card with the clerk as an initial answer. Then, when I have the time to research my case, I can amend my answer with all the applicable defenses and counterclaims (or, have an attorney file an amended answer). Is this a good strategy? Or, is it a mistake for a pro-se tenant to try to do an amended answer?
Up until what phase of the court case can a tenant amend their answer and still reasonably expect it to succeed?
Thanks.