If you have never been to court before, there are a few important things you should know before going in, especially if it is for your own case. If you are attending your own hearing or fighting charges, it can already been a stressful period, so it is good to get some helpful tips so you know what to do as well as what to expect.
If you are dealing with a more serious matter, then it is important that you engage a lawyer long before you have to go to court. Liverpool lawyers, for example can help you with what to expect when going to court, or they could even work to ensure your case doesn’t get to the courtroom.
So, before heading into court for the first time, make sure you have a read on below at some helpful tips:
Arrive Early
It is very important that you arrive on time at court, so aim to be early, then if something unexpected happens, like there is a lot of traffic, then you still have a better chance of still being early or at the very least arriving on time. As a guide, you should be looking to arrive around 30 minutes early.
Keeping the judge and proceedings waiting is not a good idea, and will only annoy everyone. The judge is certainly someone that you don’t want to annoy straight off the beat. So, make sure you know how you are going to get to the courtroom and how long it is expected to take.
Turn Your Phone Off
This is an important event and you do not want your phone to go off during it. Even leaving it on vibrate probably isn’t a good idea either, because if your phone is on a table or something hard, there is the chance people will still be able to hear the vibrations.
If you have your phone on silent with no vibrate, but it is still in your eye line, you could also get distracted when the phone screen lights up with a notification. So, it is best to just turn your phone completely off, to avoid any distractions. Continually looking down at your phone can really send the wrong impression to the judge.
Take Notes
Even if you have a lawyer present, it is still a good idea to bring a notebook and take notes of the proceedings and your thoughts or comments of what happened. This could be anything that is said that you agree or disagree with, aim to take as many notes as you can.
It helps to give you a way to open up talking points with your lawyer afterwards, as you can’t really have a full blown discussion with your lawyer inside the courtroom. There is a lot that may be going on, so bringing a notepad and taking notes means you are less likely to forget something, even if it is just something little.
Dress Professionally
You cannot rock up to rock in thongs and a singlet, this is a respectful place and you will need to dress accordingly. How you dress is a non-verbal way of representing yourself, and obviously at court you want to give of the best representation of yourself as possible.
You should dress as if you are going for a job interview in a professional office. So, suit and tie is recommended for men, and a professional dress or shirt and pants is recommended for women. It is important you play it safe with what you choose to where when attending court.
