Today I was reading a great article that came up while I was on my Santa Clarita Divorce Google Plus page that was called, “Top 4 Things People Representing Themselves Need To Know”, that I wanted to share and was relevant to my clients in Santa Clarita.
The article was written by a Family Law Attorney in Phoenix and gives some great information that applies to anyone representing themselves in Court, be it in Arizona or California.
You can click on the link now for the full article, “Top 4 Things People Representing Themselves Need To Know” and I will summarize below.
In the article they mentioned that you need to be aware of the fact that you are emotionally tied to your own case and this may make it difficult to effectively present your case. I know that the clients we help prepare for court are also a little bit nervous about what will happen at the hearing and what they should say.
We have worked for the courts and sat in the Court rooms so we are able to give you a good idea on how the proceeding are held.
Here are the 4 Things Self Represented Clients Need To Know, per the Hernandez Family Law Firm in Phoenix, Arizona.
First, you will be held to the same standards as an attorney. You can simply not use the excuse that you did not know. While this is true, I know of a lot of cases where this really depends on the judge and and some of our clients have gotten away with quite a bit that attorneys would never get away with.
Second, they say you should not file a ton of motions in your case. I agree with this. They provided some great reasons on why, but I would also add that you have to realize that the Judges are reading hundreds of declarations a day and the more clear and precise your motions are, the better chance the Judge will understand your point.
The third reason they mentioned, we briefly covered which was to keep your emotions in check. This can prove difficult. There is often a lot at stake. That is why having an attorney is often more effective, because they are not personally affected by the results.
And finally, they say not to argue with the Judge. Aside from it being unprofessional, as indicated in their article, I would add that you are taking a risk that the Judge holds it against you. After all, they are human beings.
Thanks to Wendy Hernandez for providing this valuable information.
We specialize in California divorce and are headquartered in Santa Clarita, CA.
