Appearing in Court is when the Judge gets the opportunity to start forming an opinion regarding credibility. It’s important to put your best foot forward.
Do’s:
- Dress appropriately. Court is not a place to wear pajamas, inappropriate slogans or writing on clothing or anything with holes or excessively revealing.
- Bring paper and a pen. Often, you will be given some information in the courtroom which you should be able to take down including notice of future hearing dates.
- Be prepared. Understand in advance the purpose of the hearing and have notes prepared to address the purpose of your hearing.
- Wait to be addressed by the Court. You don’t need to raise your hand, but you need to wait until the Court tells you it’s your turn to speak.
- Order the video after the hearing. Every hearing in Family Court is recorded and the video is very helpful to go back through to understand what happened. After Court, go downstairs and get a number from the information desk and order it while you’re there to avoid duplicate trips.
Don’ts:
- Do not interrupt. The other side may say things that are not true or taken out of context. Use the paper and pen you brought to take notes, but be brief when going over the issues because time is limited.
- Do not name call. Use the other parent’s first name or say mom/dad.
- Do not just leave. We have been in hearings when a litigant does not like what is being said and just leaves the courtroom. That behavior hurts your case. Listen to what is being said so you can prepare a response or make necessary changes.
- Do not think the hearing is going to be long. In most cases, hearing last less than 15 minutes. It isn’t a time to tell the Court your whole story. Being brief and to the point is important; it comes back to being prepared and having notes ready.
- Do not bring the children to Court. Unless you’ve been asked to bring children to Court, they should not be brought to the courthouse. Find a family member or friend who can provide care while you’re at Court.