Hi, I'm Dave Ward with The Ward Law Firm and we're continuing in our series on, what you can expect when going into court and what to do when you're testifying. In this fifth video in our series we're going to talk about just some of the do's and don'ts of going to court and being in a courtroom.
One of the things that we’re frequently asked is, “How should I dress when I go to court?” A lot of people want to know, do I need to be in a suit? Do I have to wear a dress? Or those kinds of things and the answer that I always tell people is just wear church clothes. You don't necessarily have to be in a suit, if you have one that's wonderful. But one of the easiest ways you can show respect for the court and its institutions and traditions is by dressing appropriately.
The person who shows up dressed appropriately sets a very different tone with the court and with the judge than the person who is showing up in ripped up jeans and holey t-shirts and things like that. So, one of the easiest things that you can do to help yourself is just demonstrate respect for the court by dressing appropriately when you go in.
Another little etiquette thing that can help when you're in court is remember whenever you're addressing the judge, it's always “Yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am or Yes, your honor. No, your honor.” Any of those sorts of answers and that should always be on the tail end of anything that you say to the judge. You should always end in one of those respectful terms to demonstrate your respect for the court.
I'm Dave Ward with The Ward Law Firm and we help parents protect those things that matter most