Attending a court hearing can be daunting especially when coupled with standing before a Judge (who may be determining important life decisions for your family) and seeing your ex-partner / spouse.
In this article we have set out our top tips for clients to prepare themselves for a hearing:
Be on time
Ensure you have set aside enough time to arrive and speak to your legal representative (if you have one) beforehand. The court will usually ask that you attend an hour before your hearing is listed.
You will need time to pass through Court security checks and find your way to the right part of the Court building. Your legal representative (if you have one) will also want to speak with you so they can take any final instructions and deal with any final concerns or queries before going into the hearing.
Review any important documents
Read all necessary paperwork in the days beforehand. At certain hearings, you may be required to give oral evidence, and it is therefore particularly advisable in those circumstances to familiarise yourself with the important documents first. This may include expert reports and/or witness statements.
Bring copies of relevant paperwork
If you do not have a legal representative, you should ensure you have copies of your any important documents like position statements to distribute to the Judge and the other parties on the day.
If you have a legal representative, they should deal with this for you (but you should double-check that with them beforehand).
Dress appropriately
Whilst there is no strict dress-code, the expectation is that you should dress smartly and conservatively, i.e. aim for smart-casual business attire. It may sound cliché, but first impressions do count and dressing smartly shows the Judge you are taking the proceedings seriously.
Pack the night before
It’s a good idea to bring supplies for the day with you, e.g. a notepad, drinks and snacks. You could be waiting at Court for some time.
The hearing start time on your paperwork may not be the time the Judge actually calls you into the Courtroom due to staff availability, other cases overrunning and so on. For full day hearings, you will have a short break for lunch.
At E J Coombs, we regularly represent clients at court hearings as well as supporting those attending alone with preparation. We also have strong working relationships with barristers who can represent you.
Please do not hesitate to contact us, using the links below, should you wish to discuss your options further.
