Our clients often tell us how daunting it can feel when they receive notice to attend Court, for any reason. Often though, it’s the fear of the unknown that is more unnerving than attending the hearing itself. That’s why, here at Higgins Miller Solicitors, we make sure that our clients know what to expect at court before every hearing. That way our clients can concentrate just on getting there, knowing that we’ll be beside them to deal with the formalities.
Before every hearing it’s handy to have a list of relevant information that you can refer to if you need it. As part of our pre-hearing advice, we let you know the following and suggest you take it with you to the hearing:
1. Date and time of the hearing and any pre-hearing discussions:
If the Court require you to be there early to have a chat with your representative and other parties before going into the hearing itself, we’ll tell you when you should arrive by.
2. Venue of the hearing:
We’ll tell you not just the name of the Court but the address so that you can make the necessary travel arrangements well in advance. We also remind you what to expect upon arrival such as passing through security, emptying bags and pockets. It’s a bit like going through the airport.
3. Case reference number:
You’ll need this to give to the Court usher so that they can direct you where to wait and let you know if your representative is already present or any of the other parties.
4. What the hearing will be about and how long it will last:
If it is a children matter is it a FHDRA (First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment) a DRA (Dispute Resolution Appointment) a fact-finding hearing, directions hearing, pre-trial review or final hearing? We will explain what your hearing is and what to expect to happen. We also send you a copy of the documents the Court and representatives will use during the hearing, known as the Court Bundle.
5. Who will represent you:
We’ll give you the name and status of the person representing you which may be your usual lawyer or someone else in the firm familiar with your case or a barrister instructed to act on your behalf. We also tell you what to expect after the hearing in terms of when you will hear from us with the next steps.
6. Cost:
We tell you upfront how many hours we expect the hearing to take so that we can give you a reasonable quote for how much money you can budget to put aside.
If you have a hearing coming up and would like some guidance on what to expect, our experienced team is here to help put your mind at rest.