Legal Question in Civil Litigation in California

A person can start a case in pro per or can assume such status at any time in the process. The exception is that companies cannot represent themselves.

It is always ok in the sense that it is always within the rules of what is allowed, so long as the person you are talking about is a living person. Corporations and other types of "persons" as the law recognizes that word often must have an attorney representation and do not ever allow for direct "in pro per" representation. With that said, it is much more likely than not that having an attorney to represent a person will maximize the legal rights and remedies for that person who might not be able to understand certain aspects of the process or to be in the best position to evaluate and select among confusing options. As such, the best advice is to consult with an attorney to get a sense of how complex your legal question may be, what the representation costs may be, and then make an informed decision about the best way to proceed.

Of course, you can always terminate your attorney's representation. That's the easy part. Representing yourself, however, will take knowledge of the law, the Rules if Court, the local rules, and common sense. Please exercise great introspection before deciding to go it alone!