Preparing for Your Family Court Hearing

View Preparing For Your Court Hearing in it's entirety or click on the chapter links below.

CHAPTER 1: Court Hearing Quick Reference Guidelines

Introduction

Practice

Organize

Tips and Reminders for Your Hearing Day

What Happens Before a Court Hearing?

What Happens at a Court Hearing?

What is an Opening Statement?

Who Makes the First Opening Statement?

Do I have to Make an Opening Statement?

CHAPTER 4 - Telling Your Side of the Story

When May I Talk at a Hearing and How Do I Tell My Side of the Story?

A. Before Anyone May tell the Court Information He/She Must Swear to Tell the Truth

B. What if I Do Not Remember Something While I am Telling the Judicial Officer My Side of the Story?

C. Will the Judicial Officer Listen to Everything I Want to Say or Look at Everything I Want to Show?

D. How Do I Go About Showing the Court Something Such as a Paper?

E. When I Finish Telling My Side of the Story, May I Go Back to My Seat?

F. May I Have Other People Tell Things to the Court?

G. If I Want the Court to Look at a Paper or a Photograph, How Many Copies of the Paper or How Many Original Photographs Must I Bring to the Hearing?

H. What Happens When I am FInished Asking the Person Questions?

I. What Do I Do if I Want More Than One Person to Talk To the Court?

J. What Do I Do after I Have Had Everyone Speak that I Want to Speak at the Hearing?

CHAPTER 5: The Other Party's Case

What Do I Do When the Other Side or a Different Party Gets to Tell His/Her Side of the Story?

What Do I Do if I Do Not Agree with What the Other Side is Saying?

What Happens if the Other Side or Another Party Has Other People to Help Prove His/Her Case?

CHAPTER 6 - Closing Arguments

What is a Closing Argument?

CHAPTER 7: The Court's Decision

The Court's Decision

CHAPTER 8: Flowcharts

Court Procedure Flowchart

Telling Your Side of the Story

Other People giving Information to the Court (Witness Testimony)

CHAPTER 9: Glossary of Legal Terms

THE FAMILY COURT RESOURCE CENTER
The Family Court Resource Center is where you will find resources to guide you through the judicial system at the Family Court of the State of Delaware.
Resources include:
	Resource Center Information Desk
	Personable Staff
	Court forms and easy-to-read instructions
	Informational materials, including videos about Family Court, its procedures, its jurisdiction and the judicial system
	Reference materials that address the emotional aspects of your case
	Directories of lawyers and brochures of other professionals
	Reading table and individual computer workstations
	Computers with word processing functions and a printer for you to complete court forms and other court documents
	Family Court web site
	Internet access and research tools
	Photocopier
	Facsimile machine
	Notary services for court forms
Take advantage of the Family Court Resource Center to better prepare for your case.