Lauren Jenkins
Improving Your Chances With A Great Attorney
Almost all of us use the services of an attorney sometimes during our lives. It's usual procedure to need them if we have to go to court, perhaps for divorces and if, by bad luck, we find ourselves the target of a lawsuit. We'll only actually end up in court if all else fails and the stakes are too high if we lose.
Probably attorneys are most often used in divorce and because this isn't an everyday occurrence we have no idea when the proceedings start how much it will cost us. In addition, we don't know what's going on behind the scenes; if they're trying to get in with the judge or with other attorneys. The sad fact is that although they're working for us they rarely show us the courtesy their fees should warrant.
So, what are the choices? There are good attorneys around but they take a lot of tracking down. Probably the best thing you can do is to ask friends who they would recommend. It's much better to hear of someone rather than to rely on an advert in the phone book. We're in a vulnerable position and we're not sure whether the result that is achieved could have been better with a different attorney. If we're told that the result is as good as could expect, we can't know either way and we're left with having to pay up.
Do we have a choice? Well yes. You could decide to defend yourself. It's radical but it can be done and if you do it right you could well make far more of an impact on the judge than a very expensive attorney. You'll need to be aware of protocol and the court basics which go something like this: the plaintiff files the complaint and the defendant answers the complaint. The case is heard in front of a judge and, if necessary, a jury. Although it's the judge who's in charge of the whole case it's the jury who decides the verdict and when they've given their verdict, the judge passes sentence.
In minor cases the two sides are encouraged to settle matters out of court. This saves huge amounts of time and money to all parties. But this is not always possible and most cases go to court for judgement.
If, however, you need to actually 'perform' in court the following points may be of help:
1~The judge should be treated like a god. Don't mess him around.
2~Remember that his time is very valuable. He has far more on than he can cope with, so when you speak be short and to the point. Make sure that every point you make is logical and doesn't have 'holes' that the other side can exploit.
3~Address the judge as 'your honor' and if you want to make a particular point without sounding rude or confrontational say 'with all due respect'. Look him in the eyes but without any sense of confrontation. You want him to see you as a good, honest person who is respectful of him and the world in general. If it is a matrimonial matter then make sure that he can see that you can understand the other point of view. He needs to see that you are rational and desperately doing your best for your family.
4~Dress carefully. Again your clothes need to show respect and a conservative outlook.
If you do decide to defend yourself and you come over in the right way the chances are that you will impress the judge far more than an expensive attorney, but, just like life, it's a gamble.
Lauren Jenkins is the owner of Attorney Views a first class resource for attorney and attorney law information on the Internet. Please visit www.attorneyviews.com for more about this article and related topics.
