What Just Happened?
You just spent time in Las Vegas family court listening to attorneys discuss intimate details of your life and a judge making decisions about those intimate details. Your head is swimming with legal jargon and orders. Maybe there was some yelling by the attorneys and the judge sounded mad. You may not be sure if what happened was good or bad for you. Maybe your ex’s attorney was loud and interrupted your attorney. You wonder if that means that he won and you lost. You walk out of the courtroom in a fog and wonder “What just happened?” You turn to your lawyer who says that he is late for a hearing in another department and is gone down the hallway. Now what?
There are a few things to know that can make your experience in court more comfortable. More important, by having an idea of the purpose of each hearing and having a good idea of what to expect before you walk into the courtroom, you will be better prepared to take in what is happening.
First, find out the purpose of the hearing. What are the issues before the court? No attorney can tell you for sure what will happen in a given hearing, but your attorney can explain to you what the purpose of the hearing is and what she thinks will happen. Make sure and read any pleadings filed specifically for this hearing.
Second, during the hearing pay attention. Sometimes this is difficult to do as attorneys and judges may talk over each other and use words and phrases you do not understand. Recognize that you do not win in court by having the loudest attorney.
Ultimately, what matters most for you to know and understand right after the hearing is the judge’s orders. If the judge orders you to do something, you must follow the order. In most cases, the orders will be put in written form and you will receive a copy from your attorney. This, however, can take some time, so make sure that you follow the judge’s orders even if you do not have the written version in front of you yet.
For instance, if the judge says that he wants you to begin a visitation schedule the following day, you will not have a written order but will need to comply regardless. You do not want to fail to comply with an order and have to stand before the judge explaining that you did not know what you were supposed to do. Judges often respond to any excuse like that with: You were in court when I told you to do this, weren’t you?
With all of the action in court, it is easy to forget what you are hearing. Feel free to bring a pen and paper and take some notes during the hearing. Just be careful not to get so caught up in taking notes that you forget to pay attention to what you need to hear and understand. If you have specific questions for your attorney, write them down so that you do not forget them.
Finally, if you have any questions regarding what happened in court, make sure and speak to your attorney. Ask your attorney to tell you what happened, what you are required to do, and what you deadline is for doing it. Also, future hearing dates are often set during a hearing. Make sure you know when the next hearing date is.
Court can be confusing for litigants, and attorneys and judges can forget that. By preparing yourself and asking questions, you can ensure that your case runs smoother for you. In doing so, you may also minimize the conflict between you and your ex.
After the hearing:
It is also important that you understand what happened because the judge is going to expecgt you to follow the rulings made during your hearing.
In Las Vegas, we are lucky in that most Las Vegas family law attorneys know each other.
las vegas divorce attorney
las vegas divorce attorneys
las vegas family court
family law attorney las vegas
las vegas family law attorney
nevada divorce
divorce in nevada
las vegas annulment
las vegas divorce laws
Nevada child support law
Nrs 125B.080