Tips for Your First Divorce Hearing

Your first divorce hearing can be a stressful experience, but you can at least enter feeling confident if you take the proper steps to prepare for it. Here are a few of the steps you should take to make sure the hearing goes as smoothly as possible.

• Dress for success: Showing up to court in professional attire will help you make a good first impression, which will make you appear more credible and trustworthy.
• Get organized: Do your homework in advance so you can have everything ready to go for your court date. Know the paperwork you need to have, and collect and organize it all. Familiarize yourself with all of the information and evidence you will bring with you, and work with your divorce lawyer on potential questions you might be asked in court.
• Be on time: Make sure to show up and allow plenty of time to find parking and get through any security checkpoints at the court, and then to find your way to the location of your hearing. If you arrive late, you risk negative outcomes in your case and the potential that the court will move forward without you. At the very least, showing up late will create a negative first impression.
• Be respectful: Maintaining a polite, respectful tone and demeanor at all times will also reflect much better on you than if you are unprofessional, combative or rude. Remember, you’re talking to people who hold your future in their hands. Stay calm and stick to the fats of your case, and rely on your attorney’s guidance. Make sure to silence your cell phone to avoid interruptions. Do not interrupt the judge or speak out of turn

For more tips to help you get through your first divorce hearing without incident, contact an experienced attorney at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP today.