Of course, one of the best ways that you can become prepared for your custody hearing is to hire an experienced attorney that can help you in the midst of your divorce issues. Despite the fact that you should always work with an attorney if there are complicated matters in your case, but that does not take away from the fact that you can prepare on your own as well!
How to Prepare for Your Hearing
Getting Familiar with the Law and Your Paperwork: Every state is different when it comes to the law, and these are things that you can research on your own when you are not speaking to your custody attorney. There are good websites out there that can help you construct the best parenting plan for you and your ex-spouse, which will help you in your time of need. Learn what you are up against even if it seems tedious to do so.
It is also imperative to be prepared with necessary documents; again, this is something that an attorney can help you with. You may also want documentation of things that have happened in your case through phone logs, visitation schedule plans, and more.
Showing Your Parenting Skills: There is something known as the “better parent standard,” which is what comes into play when a parent requests sole custody. The judge must be convinced that one parent is better than the other, so it is important to be able to show the court that your spouse is unfit or why you should be granted so much time with your child, if it pertains to your case.
Learning Courtroom Etiquette: You must understand how to behave in court and find out what is expected from you. You and your lawyer may want to sit down and talk about what will happen at your hearing, even going as far as to give examples of things that they have seen or what you should say in certain situations.
Dressing Properly: This all comes down to making the best first impression possible. The judge in your case will typically form an opinion of you from the moment they see you, which comes before they even hear your case. This is why it is important to know how to present yourself.
We want you to take your custody hearing as seriously as we treat your case in full. Since it is important to us, it should be important to you – which is why you should start talking to an experienced attorney as soon as possible! Give us a call about your case for more information.
