Divorce hearings are key determinants of how successful you will be in your settlement. If you or your ex-spouse couldn't come up with a suitable agreement and ended up going to trial, then it is the hearings that will decide who gets custody over your child, how assets will be divided, and how much will be paid as alimony. However, it could also be one of the most nerve-wracking and emotionally-tolling experiences you will ever have if you don't adequately prepare yourself. Being thoroughly prepared-mentally and emotionally-will determine how successful the divorce hearing will be for you.
How do you prepare yourself for a divorce hearing? Here are three steps you can follow for a less stressful, more successful divorce hearing:
1. Ask your lawyer to prepare you ahead of time.
How successful the divorce hearing will be greatly depends on how prepared you are, and there are several preparations to be made. These preparations include being dressed appropriately, organizing your financial documents, and knowing the hearing procedures.
The hearing procedure could be intimidating for first-timers in court, and you have to prepare yourself for that. Ask your lawyer for the court procedures and what you should expect to find and undergo there. Observing proper courtroom decorum is a must and it is important to know what you should and should not do during the hearing. A pre-hearing briefing with your attorney could make all the difference.
2. Be prepared with your testimony.
Be sure to have your financial and other supporting documents ready, and be sure to review them before the hearing. Doing so will ensure that come the hearing itself, you will have a strong, coherent testimony.
Go over possible questions with your lawyer and practice answering them. You might find some questions too personal or offensive, and losing your temper in the courtroom will not help your case. It helps to have an idea of what is to come beforehand so you could prepare yourself adequately for it. Write your testimony down if you have to, review it for possible loopholes, and see if there are any gaps in your statement. Being put under cross-examination could be more tense than you might imagine, and it helps to have your testimony ready to avoid confusion in the court room.
Being prepared with your testimony will also help you focus more on answering the questions you are asked instead of paying attention to potential distractions.
3. Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally.
The hearing will not be easy, and your ex-spouse might decide to spring surprises. It is also highly-possible that your ex-spouse has different memories of certain events in your marriage. Being mentally and emotionally prepared will help prevent outbursts. It will also help you in being genuine in your reactions. Remember that judges have a lot of experience in terms of observing behavior and dealing with people. The judge will be observing you and your body language when you make your testimony, or when your spouse testifies, so make sure that you are not being melodramatic. Faking your emotions will most likely not go unnoticed and doing so will not be beneficial to you.
Keep your emotions in check. Should you have points of contention, take down notes and discuss it with your lawyer afterwards. Let your lawyer do his job, especially since he would most likely be calmer than you. Staying calm during the hearing will help turn things to your favor.
In the end, there really are no easy answers as far as divorce is concerned. There are several things to consider and child custody, joint assets, and debt division are just a few of them. Bear in mind that the hearing process does not guarantee that all your desires and conditions will be fulfilled. Quite often, the decision ends up being a compromise between the parties concerned decided by the judge. Be ready to put aside differences to work towards a resolution agreeable to you and your spouse.
Also, the hearing process is likely to go smoothly if you are prepared mentally and emotionally and that's the key to how quickly you would be able to embark on a new journey in your life after the hearing.
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