Legal Definitions - Self-serving

Self-serving, in a legal context, means a statement or answer to a question that only serves to support the legal position of a particular party in a lawsuit, without providing any evidence. These statements are considered inadmissible evidence in court.

For example, if a defendant in a criminal case says, "I didn't do it because I'm a good person," this statement is self-serving because it only serves to support the defendant's position without providing any evidence to prove their innocence.

Another example is if a plaintiff in a civil case says, "I deserve compensation because I'm a hardworking person," this statement is self-serving because it only serves to support the plaintiff's position without providing any evidence to prove their claim.

These examples illustrate how self-serving statements are not considered reliable evidence in court because they do not provide any factual information to support a legal argument.