Top Court Tips

Court can be a high stress experience, whether you’re new to it or have been before, but if you give these tips a read and bare them in mind on the day of your court appearance, you should feel more prepared and less stressed.

Keep an eye on the time: The first, and probably most important, rule of court attendance is to be on time. By arriving promptly you give you and your solicitor chance to go over any last minute details, meaning you feel calmer and more prepared. Punctuality also shows that you are taking the case and hearing seriously and are observing rules of the court.

Make sure you have the correct documents: Ensuring you have the right documentation with you is imperative, primarily because it can hold up the proceedings and even mean the case has to be adjourned. Furthermore having the correct documents suggests you are well prepared for court and are concerned about the outcome.

Rights aren’t always right: It’s great that in Britain we have so many rights and have freedom of speech, but a growing trend in people constantly declaring their rights means that they are often too heavily relied upon. It’s important that you understand your rights both in and out of court, but don’t rely too much on them and remember with rights comes responsibilities.

Mind your manners: The judge, jury, solicitors and officials are all aware that attending court can be a tension filled experience, but that doesn’t give those in court an excuse to be disrespectful. So try to remain calm and treat all those involved with politeness, as failing to do so could result in you being looked up on unfavourably.

Confidence can be a killer: It’s good to confident in your case and your views, but entering court thinking you are sure to win your case can often set you up for a fall, even if you are in the right. It could also be said that in a number of cases there is no clear winner and loser as there is fault and error on both sides.

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