With the recent sentence n. 1518 of 21.01.2019, the VI Civil Section of the Corte di Cassazione affirmed that the party of a process that has the status of lawyer, in the cases in which it is foreseen the possibility to stand in judgment personally ex art. 82 c.p.c., has the right to the judicial liquidation of the fees for the professional activity carried out in own favor but just in the event that the party itself expressly declares to participate in the process as a defender of himself pursuant to art. 86 c.p.c.. In the absence of this declaration, the party can obtain only the right to reimbursement of expenses incurred and not the fee.

The aforementioned declaration, in addition to giving rise to the right of the fees, also affects the rules applicable to the services and communications to be carried out during the course of the process.

Therefore, it is not sufficient that the party indicates in its papers the own professional title of lawyer, because the party must inform the Judge and the other party that wants to use its title in the judgment.