Court dates in divorce and family law matters can be stressful. The thought of coming to court can cause stress and anxiety.
Many might even be worried about being seen by others they know. They might feel embarrassed if others see them. Others might not want to take the time off work. They’d rather save their vacation and personal days for a more joyous experience.
There are many different types of court dates in divorce and family law matters. Apart from trials, there can be pretrial conferences, settlement conferences, motion dates and even temporary hearings.
Even when a person has a lawyer, they
wonder whether they should show up to court. “Is it necessary for me to appear?” “If If I don’t show up, and my lawyer appears for me, does it matter?” “If I’m not needed in court, would I be wasting my time and my paid time off by appearing?” These, and other questions like this, are common when facing this situation.
There might be some situations where the lawyer can show up without their client. But as a general rule, when in doubt, show up to court. Bad things could happen when a party does not show up. This is even more important where a party does not have a lawyer.
Showing up to court is something many judges also notice. When a party shows up, it sends a message to many judges that the party cares about their case. It shows that their case is a priority. On the flip end, if a party does not show up to court, it can send the opposite message that this is not a priority to the party.
When a judge believes that the matter is not a priority, this can sometimes lead to a judge having an adverse impression. This can correlate to a potential adverse result.
For this reason, most parties should err on the side of showing up to every date. The truth is that the impact of these cases can be long-lasting. A judge should understand that the party has made the case a priority.
Even dressing appropriately for court can make a difference with some judges.
