Knowing what to expect in the court room and from the Judge is the most important thing to know about preparing for a day in court.
One important aspect of your attorney’s job is to guide you through the legal process before, during and after a court appearance.
Your preparedness and expectations for your day in court are directly related to your interaction with your attorney and the questions you ask. You should ask your attorney as many questions as you need to get a clear understanding about what your court day is for and how things will proceed when you get there. You should also ask your attorney whether you will be expected to speak to the judge, and if so, prepare your statement or testimony in advance. It is equally important to talk to your attorney about how your day in court will affect your overall case.
You and your attorney are a partnership working together to reach a common goal. In order to enable your attorney to represent you to the best of his or her ability it is critical that you provide your attorney with all pertinent information, good or bad, about your case well in advance of your court date and that you keep your attorney up to date with ongoing changes to that information.
A courthouse is always a good place for fostering discussions among attorneys and clients. Regardless of what type of court appearance your case is scheduled for it is always a good idea for you and your attorney to discuss possible settlement positions including your best and worst case scenarios, just in case the opportunity should arise.
