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Court Procedures / Evidence / Service

Do I really need a lawyer for my RO hearing? (3rd person)

Whether or not to get a lawyer is a choice that each person has to make. A lawyer would be familiar with the court rules, and the rules of evidence, which determine what can and cannot be said or used in court to prove her case. Also, if the abuser has a lawyer, it is often intimidating for someone to try to argue against a lawyer on her own and she may not know how to argue against the points that the lawyer is making regarding issues such as hearsay, for example (which comes under a “rule of evidence”).

However, it’s often not necessarily better to have just “any” lawyer, unless the lawyer is familiar with and sensitive to issues of domestic violence. There are free legal services available for people who are low-income:LINK If she decides to try to adjourn her case to try to get a lawyer, this info on choosing and working with a lawyer may help: http://www.womenslaw.org/simple.php?sitemap_id=34

If she decides to represent herself, here is information on restraining orders in STATE that she could read:LINK and here is info on how to prepare herself for the court hearing: http://www.womenslaw.org/simple.php?sitemap_id=32

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