If they can afford one, no, never. On the other hand - they cannot have a Public Defender if their income level disqualifies you from that benefit, AND - they cannot have a Public Defencer appointed to them to defend against a civil case.
Public defense lawyers are paid by the state or federal government. Legal aid organizations charge clients on a "sliding scale" based on their ability to pay and there are private attorneys and other...
If a person is honestly representing themselves (pro se) they are afforded all the same privileges and opportunity that an attorney would have. The question is, will they know how to apply the law...