Navigating family court is stressful enough without being complicated by false accusations and overwhelming paperwork to deal with. Documentation can prove or disprove statements made on court documents or during hearings.
Statements Need to be Backed Up
When dealing with the court, it’s no longer good enough to make any statements to the court that have nothing to do with the case and can’t be proven, even if the statements are factual. Pivoting and thinking about what can be documented or proven through third-party mechanisms makes working through family court far more efficient. Slow down and start looking at all of the statements on paper or said at a hearing.
- Are there any recordings or witnesses of the behavior?
- Which parts of any accusations that are presented are true?
- Can any of the statements be backed up by a teacher, pediatrician, law enforcement officer, or another similar party?
Keep a Notebook or Journal
Try keeping a journal or notebook that keeps track of appointments with specialists, legal team members, pediatricians, interactions with law enforcement, and so on. Avoid using this journal to vent feelings or process emotions. Some find using bullet-journaling techniques for this notebook helps keep you on track.
Getting into the mental habit of jotting down times, dates, conversations, and filing things away can only help sharpen your case. Documenting things can help you remember things accurately.
Specialty law firms like Cordell & Cordell understand firsthand the sheer amounts of false accusations that take place in a family court case. Legal teams like the Cordell & Cordell team can use the information you’ve gathered to start looking for more data faster.
Keep Things Professional
Pretend everything you do and the other party does is being watched or recorded in some manner. This mindset can help keep you treating the ex like a professional business partner.
- Don’t lash out at false accusations or insults.
- Do not start arguments or engage in them.
- Conclude your interactions as soon as possible and do so in a public place.
Organize Your Documents and Correspondence
It’s worth taking an afternoon and organizing all your documents, paperwork, and correspondence for your case. You’ll feel better about the direction of your case and know that you’re doing everything you can on your side to get through this. File everything away in sections both in paper files and electronically.
Keep copies of all receipts, documents received in text messages, and email correspondence with everyone related to your case. The stress of the case can make a person forget critical details. Staying organized makes it easier to retrieve essential information.