How To Communicate With Your Divorce Lawyer In Court
Posted on: 13 September 2017
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Courts are very restrictive when it comes to communication during a hearing. Most courts only allow legal pads of paper; those pads of paper that are all yellow with blue lines on them. So, how do you communicate with your divorce lawyer in the middle of a hearing and not get the judge's dander up? It goes something like the following.
Hear Something Maddening? Write It Down
Your ex is going to say a lot of inflammatory things. He or she is also going to lie to sway the judge. If he/she has a lawyer, he/she will tell the lawyer a lot of lies to tell the judge too. The best thing to do is not react. Do not react vocally, and do not react physically. Instead, write the issue down on a pad of legal paper. Then tap your lawyer's arm or hand and point to the paper. Your lawyer can read it and then interject or interrupt what the other lawyer or your ex is saying.
Tap Your Lawyer's Shoulder and Request an Aside
If you know your lawyer well enough to know that this is an acceptable approach, you can use it. Just tap a finger against your lawyer's shoulder. When he/she looks at you, motion with a finger to come in closer. Then whisper that you would like an aside conversation for a minute. Then your lawyer can request a couple minutes of the court's time to talk to you about what is upsetting you or needs to be said. If it is going to be a while before you two can talk, write down exactly what upset you at that particular moment so that you do not forget to mention it.
Ask Your Divorce Lawyer Prior to the Hearing How You Should Communicate in Court
Your lawyer has been doing this a lot longer than you. He or she already has experience with the court system and communication with clients during hearings. Your lawyer may also have a preferred method of communication while the hearing is in session. For these reasons, ask him/her how you should communicate with him/her when the need arises so that he/she, the judge, and the court's time is not interrupted rudely or unnecessarily.
All Courts Operate Differently
Because all courts operate a little differently when it comes to hearings, there may be other acceptable means of communicating with your lawyer while in court. As technology and court rules have collided, some courts now allow you to use a laptop to type questions to your lawyer or inform him/her of something important. This came into use mainly as a means for the hearing- and visually-impaired clients, but you may be able to use it as well. Check with a lawyer firm, like Hazlett & Pedemonte, for more help.