You’ve Never Been To The Court Before & Are Having Cold Feet – You’ve Come To The Right Place

Family lawMarch 1, 2019

Some of us, in fact, most of us have never visited the courtroom officially in our lives. We might’ve seen them on our TV screens, heard about them from our friends and relatives but have not experienced the feeling our self. Even if we have to visit the court for a case we’re sure about winning, it still isn’t always cool. So if you’re that person who is ready with their attorney for their case, here are some of the things you should know before making your first courtroom appearance.

Be Organized & Composed

This is something we often ignore or forget but is of utter importance. You should be appropriately dressed for your visit to the courtroom, your documentation should be complete, you should have studied the facts of the cases with your attorney and be on time. Even if you’re not the bad guy in a particular case but are unprepared or unorganized, things might not go your way. The jury and the judge are peculiar about your mental as well as physical condition as your testimony depends on it. So it is better to be absolutely ready and fresh before your first visit to the court.

Do Visit The Courtroom Once Before Your Trial

This is highly advisable so that you can become familiar with the surroundings and get comfortable. Most of the people, when they visit the courtroom for the first time, panic and lose their composure. Furthermore, it is another thing watching the judge and the jury on a television set and another whole game being in that scenario. You also get to know the way around the court if you visit it before your trial actually starts and chances of being late on that particular day are at a minimum. Therefore, if possible, try and visit the courtroom before your trial date.

Be Comfortable & Honest With Your Attorney

That’s the guy who is going to defend your position in front of all those people and thus, there should be no false or unsaid information between the two of you. Especially if it is a child custody or divorce case, your attorney should know all the facts and figures to the point so that he or she can prepare their case in the best possible way. Hiding facts from your attorney and then being exposed by the opposite counselor on the day of your trial is embarrassing and pretty harmful to your case. So, be honest with your attorney and try to practice all the questions that are going to come your way in an actual trial.

Only Answer The Questions That Are Asked

Very straightforward but we always tend to mess it up. Especially people who are new to the court environment and do not know the official procedure, tend to panic and give extra answers which are not required. Being composed is the key, as mentioned above. Only answer what you’ve been asked and how much you’ve been asked. Don’t fabricate stories that are far from the truth as the judge will take that into notice and it will be detrimental for your position. Also don’t lose your temper during a trial as that also never bodes well for you.

Plan Your Day Beforehand

If you’ve board meetings, labor union meetings or have to go check up on your grandma in the hospital, you should arrange them way before your trial date. It is awkward and uncomfortable if such scenarios arise on the day of your trial and you’re late for the court. Being late on your first day at the court is never, and I repeat, appreciated. If you’ve stuff to do, try to manage it before that day or that time of the day. If you’re unable to, reschedule because your trial is the most important thing on that particular day. Just be sure you don’t miss it.

That’s Almost About It

With a few other minor things, the above-mentioned points almost sum it up for your first visit to the courtroom. The crux of it is that you schedule your tasks on the trial day in advance, be ready mentally and physically, be truthful to your lawyer and be to the point when it comes to answering the questions. These things might not guarantee a win but they will guarantee you an ample chance of presenting your case.