Today’s topic is tips for the divorce trial. In other words, if you’re actually going in front of the judge and you are having a contested final hearing where the court’s going to hear everything, that’s what we’re talking about here right now. The number one thing I want to tell you to do is to be honest with the courts. It might seem like common sense to you, but it’s very important that you are honest with the court, you’re upfront and you are not saying things that are untruthful. Why? The reason is because a lot of times what’s going to happen if you lie or are dishonest, it’s going to come back and bite you. I’ve seen it happen time after time.
What happens at the point when you begin to be dishonest with the courts?
The court is going to for the most part not take you seriously when it comes to everything else you have to say if you are found to be dishonest. I’m not saying that people don’t get away with lying in court. Sometimes they do unfortunately, but it’s a very risky move and it’s not a good idea at all. The next thing to do when you’re getting ready to go to court is to think about the kind of questions that you think might be asked in court. Then think about what the answers to those questions are. By practicing this step, once you get to the point where you’re in court, you’re not as likely to be mixed up when the questions are actually asked. The next thing I would strongly suggest that you do is listen to the questions and only answer the questions that are asked.
What’s a big problem I see sometimes in court?
A big issue I see in court is when people start answering questions that have not even been asked. Do not start answering questions that have not been asked at all. When that happens, you go down this so-called rabbit hole and you’re getting into all these other topics. It’s not going to go well for you if you make a habit of doing that. Just think about the question that was asked and answer the question only. The judge is going to appreciate it a lot. I think the judge is more likely to find in your favor if you’re sticking with answering the questions that are asked. The judges for the most part have a lot of experience and they’re going to sense when you’re trying to avoid a question. The other thing that I think you should do not do is exaggerate. Now, this is kind of related to the other point I was making about lying or being dishonest. You also should not exaggerate when you’re talking about things in court and you’re being asked questions. Just stick with the facts. Just listen to the question and answer it. Don’t try to embellish. Don’t try to make something out of nothing. Just answer the questions. When you do that, you’re going to look like a normal, sane person to the judge. There’s a good chance that if the other person is not doing that, then the court is not going to look as favourably upon them. These are some basic tips Today I have for you in the event that you’re going to a final contested hearing.
