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Scheduling and Court Appearances: Things to Think About Before Summer (Part III)

On Behalf of | Apr 11, 2018 | Child Custody, Divorce

In the third and final installment of our blog series regarding things that you should think about before the summer, we discuss how your divorce or related family law matter may be impacted by summer schedules and how to appropriately prepare.

Scheduling

Summer is a busy time for everyone, including your attorney and the judge handling your case.  If you anticipate needing court orders or court intervention to address summer issues, be aware that it will take time to obtain a court date. For example, if you are concerned that a parent will not sign a release for an out of country vacation, you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible. Waiting until right before a vacation may make it difficult to obtain the necessary agreement from the other party, and a Court will not be able to intervene quickly enough if an agreement is not reached.

Likewise, even though summer generally necessitates additional financial and parenting time responsibilities, the deadlines in your case do not change. Your timely participation is still necessary in order for you to be successful in your case.  Be mindful of the deadlines that your attorney has outlined for you.  You may have documents or important disclosures due to the Court by a certain date.  If that date falls during a planned vacation or during a busy time for you, make sure you have provided everything to your attorney well in advance of leaving for your trip or that you have set the necessary time aside to address your case. Otherwise, your attorney will need to bother you while you are trying to spend quality time with your family.

Finally, if you have a trial scheduled during the summer months, make sure to plan ahead so you are available to prepare with your attorney.  If you are planning a vacation, be sure that it is not scheduled for the week or two immediately before trial. Preparation is key to the success of your case, so be sure to be on the same page with your attorney when scheduling vacations close to trial.

Experts

If an expert becomes involved in your case, and if their investigation will take place primarily during the summer months, the turn-around time for their report will likely be longer than usual.   As an example, child and family investigators often quote a turn-around time of around ninety days to complete their investigation and produce a report.  Over the summer months, it may take them several additional weeks.  If you and your attorney are discussing the need for experts, and if you need their report during or shortly following the summer, you should make sure that your desired expert can complete the job within the necessary timeframe.

Emergencies

By nature, emergencies are unforeseen.  While you cannot plan for emergencies, it is important that you stay in communication with your attorney regarding their summer schedule, as well as your own.  Should an emergency arise during the summer months, it is important that you know who you can contact, if your attorney is unavailable, and that your attorney also knows how to get ahold of you.

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