prepare court

 Preparing for the Courtroom

You prepared for your hearing and met with your lawyer.  Now, what happens when you actually get to the courtroom?  How do you get ready for that?  What should you do to prepare for court? Here are 5 tips to navigate being in the courtroom day:

5 Tips to Prepare for Court

1- Dress for success –

Do not wear shorts of any kind, short skirts, tank tops, jeans.  Dress as if you were going to church.  

2-Plan for traffic and parking problems-

Right now, traffic cannot be assumed to move smoothly or quickly on our main freeway.  Check I-35E  to see where issues may be, and plan for enough travel time as if it was definitely an issue.  Prepare the same way for parking at the courthouse.  There is currently construction near the Denton County Courts Building and on jury days the nearest parking is in the jail parking lot.  And, you never know what else may happen – I got stuck (just briefly, thankfully) in an elevator at the courthouse not too long ago.  Give yourself plenty of time to get to your hearing at least 15 minutes early.

3-Make Meeting Arrangements –

At least the day before, arrange with your lawyer or their paralegal where you should meet your lawyer, what time you should meet your lawyer and what you need to bring to the hearing, if anything.

4-Follow the Rules of the Court –

Most courtrooms in our area have their judge’s rules about behavior and decorum while in their courtroom.  Read the rules and follow them.  Some of these rules include: do not chew gum and turn off your cell phone.  If you violate one of these rules, the judge can find you in contempt of court and fine you or take your phone.   Some courts put information on their websites about their practices and procedures like the 431st District Court, Denton County, Texas.

5-Do not Bring Children with You –

Unless the judge is going to meet with your children or there is another way they are directly involved in your case, do not bring your children.

If you like this post, please share, tweet or +1 below.  Jill O’Connell is an experienced family law and divorce attorney in North Texas.  Call today to set an appointment with her, 940-497-5454.

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