Familiarity With The Court Matters In Divorce
Of the multitude of divorce questions a client might ask an attorney one relates to how well the attorney knows the court he or she is in or judge the case will be heard by. This seems to imply that knowing the judge, perhaps on a personal basis or friendship level, may bring better results for you in the courtroom. Since justice is ‘blind’, this saying implies outcomes which are unethical if based upon an existing personal relationship with your judge. If an existing relationship was meaningful enough to appear improper, the judge would most certainly step down from the case.
With the above being expressed, it is prudent for both divorce lawyers and those represented in a divorce or custody hearing to have an informed understanding of the judges they will be in front of. In the Denver area and the state of Colorado, juries do not hear family law matters. The judge renders a ruling based upon the set of facts and conditions presented before the court.
Judges are human, just like the rest of us. One must also keep in mind that being human, judges may have individual view points on certain issues, such as parenting time for fathers or how a certain statutory section is interpreted. As an attorney, one must try to ascertain the realm of likely possibilities before each individual judge and understand what facts, divorce questions , or arguments that judge is more likely than not to entertain or find important. For additional information read, divorce.
If your family attorney answers your divorce questions along the lines of, “I suspect that on this issue this judge will more than likely rule this way,” he or she is more than likely speaking with an educated knowledge based upon direct observation, courtroom perception, or information gathered from other attorneys. That does not mean the attorney has a crystal ball and knows for certain how that judge will rule. The advice from your attorney is provided to assist you in the decision making process in terms of how to proceed in your case. As with all conversations, your domestic relations lawyer should be speaking with your best interest in mind.
Your attorney’s experience and insights, coupled with familiarity regarding the courts practiced in, can enable you to move forward in an educated way. So, make sure you ask your attorney all of divorce questions you believe may be important. The level of communication you have with your attorney enhances your knowledge and dialogue which formulates your decisions and the strategy to be employed in your case.
The law firm of Plog & Stein, PC, was created in 1999 and has focused almost solely on domestic relations issues for the last decade. Mr. Plog’s practice has entailed almost exclusively divorce or family law since 2001. As such, he strives to import honesty, efficiency, and a detail oriented approach into each case.