Divorce attorneys and their clients often prefer to settle outside of court, rather than taking up more time and energy by seeing a judge. Unfortunately, there are times a favorable settlement cannot be reached and it is recommended that you go to court. Here are some important tips you should keep in mind if you will be going before a judge.
If you and your lawyer decide to go to court, it is often because your case is especially difficult. If it were not, you would have likely settled outside of court long ago. Now that you are taking this step, you will place even more trust in your lawyer. The reason is that going to court often comes with a significant amount of complexity. The language may at times change to legal jargon, your lawyer speaks on your behalf the vast majority of the time, and there are hundreds of best practices that should be followed when seeing a judge. For these reasons, it is important to trust in your lawyer more than ever.
Read more: 4 Traits Your Divorce Attorney Should Have
Though your lawyer will handle the vast majority of your dealings in the court, you may testify on your behalf. When you do, there are a few guidelines you should follow. First, speak loudly and clearly, as you do not want any misinterpretations. Second, get to the point quickly, so you do not waste time with extra information. Last, you are legally obligated to tell the truth, so make sure you do so at all times.
In a perfect world, the details of your case would be the only things that matter in court. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Instead, you must present yourself in an appropriate manner by dressing appropriately. If you are unclear on what that means, ask your lawyer and they will be happy to tell you. The silver lining of this guideline is that you can get into a judge’s good graces by dressing well and showing respect to their courtroom.
Judges have limited time for your case, so you should only bring the most important matters to them. A typical example is child custody specifics, which is one of the crucial aspects of a divorce settlement. On the other hand, even if you are passionate about a relatively insignificant term, you may want to keep it out of the court.
One of the worst things you can do for your case is losing your temper. If your ex-spouse is especially difficult, there may be times when you want to. Still, you must resist. Staying calm and collected throughout the proceedings will impress your judge and increase your chances of obtaining a favorable ruling.
While going to court may sound like a dramatic and stressful experience, it usually is not. More commonly, it will be relatively smooth and straightforward. Still, it isn’t always easy. There are some things you need to prepare to give yourself the best shot at getting the deal you deserve. Once you do, you can let your St. Louis divorce lawyer take care of the rest.
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