WATCH: How can someone prepare themselves for their day in court?

Read the transcript of this video below.

The best way to prepare yourself for your day in court is to set up a meeting with your attorney, but it’s likely your attorney will ask for this anyway. Meet with your attorney a few days before your court date and talk about what the process is going to be like. 

When you go to court, you might have 30 minutes where you, as a client, just stand there or the attorneys will make some arguments, and things might get decided – unless it’s an evidentiary hearing, in which case you might actually have to testify. Depending on the length and intensity of the hearings, you’re certainly going to want to meet with your attorney to prepare. Your meeting may need to be a little bit longer if there’s more that you’re going to talk about that day. 

Another way to prepare is to talk to other people. If you haven’t been in court, talk to people who have. My best piece of advice for preparing for court is to defer to your attorney; they’ll know what’s best. If you have that trusting relationship, then you’ll trust them to do what’s best for you in court. 

Going to court is a very nerve-wracking experience. Just take a deep breath, relax, and remind yourself that you’ve hired somebody you trust and they are going to have your best interest at heart. In the hearing, just allow them to do their work and you’ll feel good about it in the end.

Tatiana D. Engelmann is an Associate Attorney at Atkinson & Kelsey, P.A. in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  She graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2004, and currently focuses her practice in family law, including divorce, custody, child support, spousal support and collaborative law matters.  She has previously practiced in many other areas of law including water, natural resources and real estate law, as well as construction and employment law. Ms. Engelmann volunteers by serving as a board member for the Children’s Grief Center of New Mexico, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children who are grieving the death of a loved one. For more information about Tatiana D. Engelmann and her firm, please visit www.atkinsonkelsey.com.