This is one immediate opportunity to showcase who you are and that you are taking the situation seriously to the judge.ĭon’t bring a shopping bag. Judges themselves have to wear a black robe, and the lawyers representing you wear suits or formal attire, so you should make an effort to align with that wardrobe. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people dress in a manner that I think is really disrespectful to the court,” Hon. What does that mean? You have to look respectful. Judge Siegal has seen many mistakes made by those entering a courtroom and ran through the list on the podcast.Īlways be respectful. Judge Siegal does believe cannot be resolved, and therefore have to be tried in court. But then again, there are some cases that Hon. That’s why mediation and collaborative law are encouraged. “They should exercise as much control over their future as they can, even though it may well be a compromise.” “I don’t think anybody should risk putting their lives in the hands of a stranger, however, learned that stranger is,” Hon. So at the end of the day, if you can’t come up with a resolution on your own, you’re at the mercy of what the judge deems fair, even if that’s not what you expected to be considered fair. The factors that will matter won’t be about your character as much as they will be about age, income, and health. “We’re bound by statute, and the statute gives us certain factors we have to look at.” So saying “I’m a good parent,” or “I did everything expected of me” – that all goes out the window. “Courts don’t have great creativity,” Hon. But despite this, some people still feel that they can get a different outcome if they have their case tried. The court system provides lots of opportunities for parties going through divorce to try to “settle” a case to promote a resolution. And this is something to consider when deciding what to do with your case. Not that judges are prejudiced against the more affluent, but rather, they have seen a multitude of situations and overseen so many cases that influence what they see as valuable to any situation. So do these differing perspectives affect your case in the eyes of the judge? To an extent, yes. They experience a wide variety of cases, each differing in where they come from and what they’re asking for. Judge Siegal, along with every other judge out there, sees well-off families discussing their difficulties when they’ve also seen the very poor with very limited means, and how hard they have to work with their own needs. The judge sees and takes all of that into account. Judges face people living with a variety of incomes, and a variety of expenses that need coverage, and they are told what each party is asking for. Remember, perspective differs between people. Rather, they need to give it the time it needs to be handled conscientiously from beginning to end, and this can be unsatisfactory to those who want this to be over as soon as possible. This doesn’t mean they’ll be “indifferent” or “insensitive” to your case. While most states have a policy that cases should all take place within one year, it’s highly unlikely that it will be resolved that quickly, for many reasons. And unless your case involves custody, your case will have to wait in chronological order. The judge you’ll get isn’t only dealing with your case, or even just ten cases, but could be handling hundreds of cases. There are many factors at play to determine what they will decide is the right ruling. “Fair” to a judge doesn’t always align with what you deem fair for your situation. And of course, was thinking about the biggest question: will they be fair? She, like the rest of us, entered court scared and unsure of what to expect. “It’s a daunting experience to be in front of a judge,” T.H. was in front of a total of five judges during her divorce process. If you’ve been with the e圎XPERTS community for a while now, you’re sure to know that T.H. and Jessica on the Divorce etc… podcast to discuss the do’s and don’ts in court and what the judge is going to do for you – everything you’re wondering before your court appearance. What do they want to see from you? How do you get them to rule in your favor? What should you expect going into a courtroom? Honorable Judge Siegal joined T.H. One of the biggest questions on your mind is probably the judicial process that comes with going to court. The amount that goes into this process can be overwhelming. It’s a simple, four-word sentence, yet holds so much weight.
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