You are in the middle of a divorce. You are told that you have an upcoming court date in your case. For many clients, this can be a stressful experience.
“What should I expect?” “What do I need to do?” “What kind of preparation do I need to undertake?” “How should I dress?”
These are all normal questions for a party to ask when preparing for a court date. Ultimately, it is vital to have a conversation with your attorneys about the court date to get these, and other, questions answers.
Having answers to these questions can give you peace of mind. It can help you visualize as best as possible what to expect and what will happen. If you are unclear in any way about an upcoming court date, you will likely want to schedule a meeting, pick up the phone or e-mail your attorney and ask.
Court dates can vary by jurisdiction and be of different varieties. Some court dates are preliminary in nature. They might be called a settlement conference, pre-trial conference, adjourn docket, or case management conference.
Court dates like these are wildly different than cases where you may have to testify. Take trial dates, temporary custody, or support court dates and other evidentiary hearings.
With the former, normally a client isn’t testifying in court. This can take out much of the pressure.
On the other hand, the latter normally represents court dates where a client might have to be prepared to testify. In these instances, it is vital to have a thorough conversation with your attorney about what you should expect.
If you are going through a divorce or family law matter and have an upcoming court date, it’s important to talk with an attorney. You can call us at 1-855-805-0595 and speak with our St. Louis, Missouri Divorce Lawyers.