.An Attorney Will Assist You in Your Preparation to Testify

Your attorney will give you the following pointers to being a good witness in your case such as:

1.     Be truthful. If you lie in your case, it can do significant damage to your position. Regardless of how you feel the truth will affect your case, it is still better than lying; and

2.     Correct your mistakes. If you make an error in facts or past conversations, there's nothing wrong with correcting it and admitting your mistake.

Your Attorney Will Tell You How to Behave

The following tips are also important:

1.     Don't act differently than normal. Acting in a different manner than you usually do shows insincerity and could be equated with dishonesty;

2.     Give concise responses. The shorter the answer you give, the better. Your lawyer will tell you that questions that can be answered with "yes", "no" or "I don't know" are best answered that way;

3.     Make sure you listen to the question completely from your lawyer and the opposing attorney. Don't answer a question before the questioner is finished asking it. This is done to be polite, to assist the court reporter keeping the record and to ensure you know what question you're answering and answer appropriately; and

4.     Be certain that you fully understand the question being asked. It is possible that the opposing lawyer will speak in confusing terms. If you are unsure of what's being asked, you should pause and make sure the question is asked in a way you comprehend.

Contact an Experienced Attorney

If you have questions about how you should handle testifying in your divorce case, an attorney can help. Call Van Smith and his colleagues today at 804-325-1245 (Richmond) or 757-941-4298 (Williamsburg).