What role can court watchers play in benefiting fathers in family court?

Answer 1

A common complaint made by divorced and single father is that the family court systems are against dads. However, most often, this is being told them by attorneys who are unwilling, or lacking the knowledge, to fight for the father's rights, the fact is that in perhaps too many courts, this is still a problem.

You can address this possibility by taking people with you to court who are not there to testify. They are there as Court Observers, or Court Watchers. As an alternative to asking friends, you can also contact local High School Civics and/or Community College Paralegal Teachers to see if any programs exist for students to get credit for being Court Observers.

Make sure they are sitting on the front row of public benches, but not sitting just behind one attorney. They should be divided into groups to sit behind both the petitioner and respondent.

Each should come or be equipped with a hard tablet and pen to take notes. It is best to use a Court Evaluation Formdesigned for this purpose. One is available at the link below.

With this form, they need not interpret what to write down, or not. They simply answer the questions. There are duplicate questions addressing the conduct of the mother, father, and their attorneys, as well as that of the judge.

If it appears the judge is not providing a balanced interpretation of the evidence presented, info from this form can be used for an appeal. Further, it can get the judge sanctioned or removed from the case. In a worse case scenario, a complaint can be filed with the State Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court conducts an investigation, a judge must remove him or herself from the case.

---- Individuals participating in this are like a Jury. They are there to report on their observations and not to expound on them. Do not speak to them during the hearing. Do not tell them to pay attention to anything in particular. They need only answer the form questions.

---- If the Judge asks who they are, they need only identify themselves as Court Observers. If all goes well, the Judge will rule based on the evidence, and the results of the forms will be unneeded. Just remember, a less than favorable ruling does not always mean bias. The volume of evidence, and the performance of the attorneys, counts the most. The ability of your attorney, and the value of your evidence, is fully dependent your prep work, and taking the time to interview and find the right attorney for the job. For that, see the links below.