{"id":1321,"date":"2012-05-01T00:47:49","date_gmt":"2012-05-01T00:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scoresbyfamilylaw.com\/blog\/?p=1321"},"modified":"2019-11-23T22:26:38","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T05:26:38","slug":"preparing-the-divorce-case-for-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scoresbyfamilylaw.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/preparing-the-divorce-case-for-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing the Divorce Case for Trial"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is impossible to cover every aspect of divorce trial preparation in a single blog post, and this entry is intended only as\u00a0an overview of the trial preparation process.\u00a0 Divorce trial preparation includes filing pretrial motions and other documents, compiling\u00a0 trial evidence, and planning and rehearsing the presentation of\u00a0that evidence to the trial judge.<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong>\u00a0 Pretrial Motions and Other Documents.<\/strong>\u00a0 The most significant document which must be filed before a divorce trial is the joint pretrial statement.<\/em>\u00a0 The joint pretrial statement is essentially an overview and road map of the case.\u00a0 Both parties or attorneys on the case are to work on the pretrial statement together.<\/p>\n

The pretrial statement includes a list of the uncontested issues in the case as well as a list of the remaining contested issues.\u00a0 In addition, the pretrial statement includes a brief statement of each party’s position on the contested issues and his or her proposal for resolution of those contested issues.\u00a0 Finally, the pretrial statement includes a list of the trial witnesses and exhibits (documentary evidence) each side intends to use at trial.\u00a0\u00a0 Issues which are not called out in the pretrial statement may not be argued at trial absent an\u00a0agreement of the parties and\/or approval by the judge.<\/p>\n

A few other possible pretrial motions \/ documents\u00a0\u00a0are motions to exclude evidence, briefs regarding unique legal issues involved in the case, and motions to allow witnesses to testify telephonically.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Compiling Trial Evidence.<\/strong>\u00a0 One of the most overwhelming tasks involved in trial preparation is compiling the\u00a0evidence–specifically the documentary evidence–\u00a0to be used at trial.\u00a0 Divorce cases can drag on for months.\u00a0 Throughout the process, each party is gathering and providing\u00a0relevant documents to his or her own attorney.\u00a0 These documents include things like tax returns, account statements, debt statements, appraisals, and countless other types and categories of documents.\u00a0 In addition, each side is continually disclosing documents to the other side through the discovery<\/em>\u00a0 process.<\/p>\n

By the time trial approaches, each attorney may have hundreds of documents in his file which may potentially be offered as evidence at trial.\u00a0 Because most divorce judges simply do not have the time or the inclination to review hundreds of trial exhibits, however, the attorney and his client must carefully review the documents and decide which are important enough to use at trial and which should be left out of the presentation.\u00a0 While it is tempting to try to present every document obtained through the discovery process, this is actually counterproductive.\u00a0 Trial time is very limited and very precious.\u00a0 Using this scarce trial time to present documents which are only\u00a0marginally relevant to the case draws \u00a0the judge’s attention away from the truly important evidence.<\/p>\n

In addition to compiling documents, the lawyer and his client must decide which witnesses to use in the trial presentation.\u00a0 The husband and wife will always testify at trial.\u00a0 Other witnesses may include real estate appraisers, a child custody expert who has done an evaluation in the case, accountants, employers, and any other person with personal knowledge regarding the disputed facts and issues.\u00a0 Again, the lawyer and client must decide which witnesses will be truly helpful and not merely superfluous or distracting.\u00a0 For example, it doesn’t much help the\u00a0judge in\u00a0a child custody case for each side to parade ten family members and friends up to the witness stand to say the husband or wife is a good person.\u00a0 Anybody can present witnesses like that.\u00a0 A child custody expert who has performed an evaluation and is prepared to render an opinion as to what custody arrangement would be best for the children, however, is a very helpful witness and one from which\u00a0the judge is anxious to hear.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Planning and Rehearsing the Trial Presentation.<\/strong>\u00a0 Just as an actor would practice his lines\u00a0before going on stage to perform in a play or a pianist would practice her song\u00a0before performing in a recital, the attorney must plan and rehearse his trial presentation before the trial.<\/p>\n

Once I have decided which documentary evidence (trial exhibits) and witnesses I will use at trial, I prepare a written outline of how I want the trial to flow.\u00a0 I first decide the order in which I wish to present the issues.\u00a0 That dictates the order in which I will have witnesses testify and the order in which I will offer documentary evidence.\u00a0 I then\u00a0write questions I plan to ask my witnesses on direct examination, questions to ask opposing witnesses on cross examination, a brief opening statement, and a brief closing argument.<\/p>\n

Naturally, adjustments are always required in the courtroom.\u00a0 Some issues are resolved without the questioning I have planned.\u00a0 Some issues require more development and more witness questions than I have planned.\u00a0 It is the advance planning and rehearsal, however, that make these adjustments happen seamlessly in the courtroom.\u00a0 Pulling everything together before trial is a time-consuming and stressful process, but this pretrial preparation time is essential to an effective performance in the courtroom.<\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2012 by Scoresby Family Law \u2013 J. Kyle Scoresby, P.C. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is impossible to cover every aspect of divorce trial preparation in a single blog […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[45,46,72,97,98,102],"class_list":["post-1321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divorce-process","tag-documents","tag-evidence","tag-pre-trial-motions","tag-trial-preparation","tag-trials","tag-witnesses-and-exhibits"],"yoast_head":"\nPreparing the Divorce Case for Trial - Arizona Divorce & Family Law Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scoresbyfamilylaw.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/01\/preparing-the-divorce-case-for-trial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preparing the Divorce Case for Trial - 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