There is a famous saying that “justice is what the judge ate for breakfast.” The point of this saying is simple: judges are human and, therefore, fallible. They are not machines and their decisions can, on occasion, be influenced by extraneous factors. (The extreme example of such an extraneous factor being what the judge had for breakfast on the morning before issuing a ruling.)
When a person gets divorced, the legal process can be extremely confusing and difficult to navigate. Once you actually find yourself sitting in a courtroom, with your soon-to-be-former spouse on the other side of the room, you may struggle to maintain your composure. The most important person in the courtroom, however, is the judge seated in front of you.
An expert on the divorce process recently wrote an article for The Huffington Post and provided useful advice to anyone who may be on the verge of filing for divorce in New Jersey, New York or anywhere else in the U.S. His primary piece of advice amounted to this: don’t make the judge mad.
Remember that your divorce case will ultimately be decided by the judge, not by anyone else. This means that the judge could rule in your favor, or against you, when it comes to property division and alimony, as well as child support and child custody if there are kids involved. If the family court judge in your case perceives you as disrespectful toward the court or toward your ex-spouse, you could be in for a rude awakening when the decision is handed down.
Moreover, although first impressions do matter, keep in mind that you may have to make several appearances in front of the judge in your divorce case, depending on the circumstances – so you need to make sure to treat the judge with respect and courtesy at all times.
To learn more, check out the Huffington Post article, “5 Things Your Divorce Judge Wants to Tell You, But Doesn’t.”
If you are thinking about filing for divorce, or you have already begun the divorce process, a qualified family law lawyer can assist you. The successful family law and divorce attorneys at Graziano & Flynn, P.C. have decades of combined experience helping people to navigate divorce courts in New Jersey. Contact us now to schedule a free consultation about your case.
