You should also check that an interpreter has been arranged for each subsequent hearing as the court may not automatically do this. A guide to preparing for court hearings and safety in the Family Court. Each page of the bundle should have a letter and a number, for example A1, A2, B1, B2. London, EC1Y 8RT. In the Family Court the party who started the proceedings by making an application is usually called the applicant. Rights of Women publishes a number of other legal guides that may be useful including Children and the law: when parents separate and A guide to financial arrangements after marriage breakdown and Domestic violence injunctions. When you arrive you should let the court staff know that you are there. This includes sign language interpreters. These hearings are important because judges or hearings officers will issue orders before the trial that dictate several important deadlines. I offer very affordable flat rates as well as reasonable hourly rates for family law legal services, research, document preparation, trial and trial preparation. This means that a final hearing can Step 2: What if there are no pretrial orders? You should provide the court with details of any adjustments you may require to take part in the hearing, at the earliest opportunity. If you are concerned about your safety, or that seeing the other party face to face will make it difficult for you to take part in the hearing then you should consider the following: An example of why you may need screens or a live link is if you have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and being in the room with the other parent will trigger a reaction or make it difficult for you to participate in the hearing. You can do this when you make your application or respond to the other party’s application. Read carefully your notice of hearing or your court order from the last hearing. If the other party has a lawyer then the lawyer may approach you for one of more of the following reasons: The other party’s lawyer can be a helpful way of communicating with the other party and resolving some of the issues before going in front of the judge. However, a witness can be precluded from the final hearing if they haven’t been listed on a timely-submitted witness list. How do I prepare my witness list? This file is called a bundle. to see if you and the other party can come to an agreement on some or all of the issues. This can be a broad and sweeping category, so it makes sense to discuss what shouldn’t be a trial exhibit, instead. All of these are acceptable exhibits for evidence –as long as you can verify where they came from and show the Court that they are authentic and accurate documents. I often have clients hire me solely for their final hearings or trials to make sure that they do not miss a crucial deadline or forget to mention a critical fact. However, if you feel uncomfortable you do not have to speak to the lawyer. After you have been through security you need to find your court room. Generally, McKenzie Friends will be somebody you know. There will normally be more than one case in each court room. The court will pay the interpreter’s fees. This makes it easier for a judge to access the correct exhibit at the right time. There are usually two parties in each case. You should not use previous Court Orders as exhibits. If you intend to request screens or a live link you must inform the court as soon as possible to ensure that the equipment is available at the hearing. It also covers what to expect on the day and safety whilst in court. If you are attending court without a lawyer you may bring a friend, relative or support worker to court with you, to sit next to you and give you support. You should inform the judge if you feel the lawyer is being aggressive or taking advantage of the fact that you do not have a lawyer. Either you, or a witness you call, should be able to verify that the document is authentic and accurate for the Court. There are organisations and individuals who offer services as McKenzie Friends either free of charge or for a fee. Bring copies of all of the documents you have received from the court and all of the documents you have provided to the court. Nobody should have to go into a trial alone without an attorney to help them through and make sure that all of their rights are protected. The items you use as exhibits should be relevant to the final hearing and should be reliable evidence.
If the Motion to Reconsider isn’t successful then you can appeal your case to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. You have a right to a McKenzie Friend and the judge should only refuse to allow your McKenzie Friend for compelling (strong) reasons. Email: info@row.org.uk, Sexual harassment, assault and rape on campus, PDF guide to preparing for court hearings and safety in the Family Court, Children and the law: when parents separate, A guide to financial arrangements after marriage breakdown, www.nationaldomesticviolencehelpline.org.uk, Which hearing the position statement is for (date, case number, names of parties), What has happened since the last hearing (for example, documents you have sent to the court, documents you have received from the other party, any documents the other party was supposed to send to you which you have not received), If you have failed to comply with any court directions then provide a short explanation, If the other parent has been seeing the children then your views on how contact has gone, If you have concerns about the child arrangements or incidents of domestic violence since the last hearing then provide a short and concise summary of these concerns, What directions you want the judge to make at the hearing (for example if you want permission to file a statement or to instruct an expert or if it is a financial case perhaps you require disclosure of your husband’s bank statements or valuation of a property), If you are bringing a friend, relation or support worker to court to support you and sit next to you provide brief details. You should also submit proposed Final Orders to the Court in compliance with any applicable deadlines from the Family Division Rules, and any pretrial orders. How to Prepare for the Final Hearing in a Family Law Case Step 1: Was there a pretrial hearing? You should seek up-to-date, independent legal advice. I frequently see parties use social media printouts (such as printed copies of Facebook comments or Tweets), phone records, medical documents, prior agreements between the parties, emails, letters, and text messages. You can also contact the court directly to request a separate waiting room. Courts may call it a pretrial hearing or a pretrial conference but the purpose of the hearing is the same: to get all parties in the room and prepare everyone for the coming trial. This guide is designed to provide general information only for the law in England and Wales. This article will guide you through the process of a case to final hearing or trial. Were pretrial orders issued? You will usually be asked to sign in at reception or with the court usher outside the courtroom. The party responding to the application is called the respondent. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. You may call anyone with case information to be a witness. For certain hearings the court will require all the documents and information that the court has to consider to be put into a file in a certain order with an index. It may be heading for a trial lasting several days, or only a few hours. Please see Family Division Rule 2.24 for more information. The name of the court hearing indicates what stage the proceedings are at and what the purpose of the hearing is. If you feel able to speak to the other party or to their lawyer then you should also let them know that you have arrived. This person is called a McKenzie Friend. What do I do now? Re-read any written statements you have filed to refresh your memory. Also familiarise yourself with the rest of the evidence before the court. There should be an index, which is like a contents page, at the beginning of the bundle that lists all of the documents and page numbers. Bundles are used in court by the judge and the parties. Step 2: What if there are no pretrial orders? When the judge is ready to hear your case you will be called into the court room by the court usher.