Preparing yourself
If you are accompanying women to court, take time to prepare yourself before every court appearance.
- Be aware of your expectations and how you will deal emotionally with the outcomes. It is important for you to know yourself in order to be able to provide support to the woman.
- Prepare emotionally and exercise good self-care.
- Make use of supervision to ensure you are prepared for court.
- Plan for your own safety:
- Advise your supervisor or a fellow staff person of the time, date and location of court and of any safety risks
- Carry a cell phone, but be prepared for the possibility that you may not be allowed to use it.
- Arrange whom you will advise when you are leaving the court
- Determine your plan if you should be confronted or followed by the abuser.
- Understand your feelings about being part of the process but not being able to speak for the woman.
- Strategize how you will focus during court so that you can debrief with the woman afterwards with complete and accurate information about what happened.
- Come prepared to take notes by hand during the court appearance so you can debrief effectively with the woman afterwards and remind her of what her next steps are.
- Promote an effective relationship between the woman and her lawyer as well as court officials. Do not alienate any of these people by being aggressive and confrontational. Encourage and support the woman to speak for herself and ask questions.
You and court officials
When accompanying a woman into the courtroom, remember that you are a reflection of her. Your behaviour can have either a neutral or a negative effect.
You are expected to be a silent observer. Unless addressed directly by the judge or other court official, you have no platform to speak openly. This can be frustrating at times, but you do have an important role—to provide moral support and to witness the proceedings.
Often, judges will give directions to the parties that they expect to see fulfilled on or before the next court date. Take notes so you can discuss these issues with the woman after the court appearance. Having this information can help ensure that she is aware of the court’s expectations and that proper follow-up takes place.
Tips on relating to lawyers and court officials
- Remember the lawyer is the expert on the law, but the woman is the expert on her situation.
- Respect the expertise, skill and role of the lawyer and court officials.
- Clearly define your role to the lawyer and court officials.
- The woman should be involved in any discussions you have with court officials and her lawyer. Otherwise, a signed release of information is required.
- Be aware of the time constraints of the lawyer and court officials, and do not waste time with trivial matters. Do not ask for personal legal advice.
- Be prepared and knowledgeable about the process and the facts.
- Keep the lawyer and court officials updated with any new developments and safety concerns by assisting the woman to document them in her journal and encouraging her to communicate with you.
- Be aware of your limitations, and don’t give advice on legal issues.
- There may be times when you do not like the lawyer, but the woman does. Your focus needs to be on whether the lawyer is providing the best service and has the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding of family violence issues.
- Be prepared to share your knowledge when it is needed.
Learn more about court officials and staff.
Tips for court etiquette
- Dress in conservative, business-like attire.
- Do not wear sunglasses or hats.
- Do not chew gum or suck on candy.
- Do not bring food or drinks into the courtroom.
- Turn your cell phone completely off while you are in the courtroom.