NO SWEATS - HOW TO LOOK YOUR BEST AND IMPRESS THE JUDGE IN YOUR VIRTUAL DIVORCE OR PATERNITY HEARING.

 Posted on June 12, 2020 in Family Law

IN these days of social distancing and concerns about the COVID-19 virus, many judges in domestic relations and divorce courts are conducting hearings using ZOOM, FaceTime, or another form of virtual appearance.  You as the husband or wife, mother or father who is a party to the hearing will likely testify and you may, in fact, do so not in the courthouse but in your lawyer=s office or in your own home using ZOOM or numerous other platforms to allow you to participate without actually being in the room.

SO, in another blog, I will explain how to conduct yourself during a hearing, but first things first.  How do you dress for a virtual hearing?  The first rule of good conduct in any courtroom, whether it is actual or virtual is to be respectful to the judge.  In a nutshell, this means no sweats, no sweat pants, no sweatsuits, in fact dressing up can be as simple as wearing a dress or nice shirt for a woman and a shirt and tie or a suit for a man. Respect the judge by appearing to care about what you look like.  You will begin to win the battle because the judge will have confidence that you have taken the time and prepared yourself to act and LOOK like someone to be taken seriously.

AFTER many years and many trials, I have observed people who appeared in person before the Court in a whole variety of outfits and if they had looked in the mirror and thought twice about it they would have made a better choice in their apparel.

IT is not necessary to overdress, but it is important to show respect to the Court like you would if you were going for a job interview.

IN a certain sense having a court appearance is just like having a job interview.  You are going to be under stress, you are going to want to make the best presentation that you can and you may not be able to speak as much as you like because there are rules that the Court imposes on who does the talking. A good personal presentation means a good appearance.      

SO without repeating, NO SWEATS!