It is best to ask your lawyer any questions you may have, as this will help you usa number list feel less nervous and anxious. Preparing before a trial is very important because you have to make the best possible impression both in appearance and in the way you behave.
We often have in mind the trials in American movies, where lawyers walk around the room, ask all kinds of questions, evidence or witnesses appear at the last minute, etc. Reality is very different from the movies; in fact, trials in Spain are formalistic, and are often a mere formality when it comes to resolving purely legal issues.
Sometimes, the client's presence is not required at the trial. In such cases, you have to decide whether to attend the hearing or not or to avoid it. Whether you go voluntarily or compulsorily, you have to take into account a number of things:
Bring your ID or some document that identifies you.
Mobile phone off or on silent.
Sit where your lawyer tells you to and speak only when you are addressed. Even if you are hearing something you don't like or that you think is a lie, you cannot intervene. You can only speak if you are given the floor.
Be punctual. This is very important, arrive 15 or 10 minutes early. It is better for you to wait than for others to wait for you.
When addressing the judge or the lawyers, you must address them all equally as " usted" , never using the informal "you". You can call the judge "your honor".
If you have to speak or answer questions, try to do so in a clear and concise manner. If you get nervous, that's okay. And if you don't know how to answer a question or don't understand it, let them know. Avoid making personal comments, and stick to the subject of the trial.
If you are acting as a witness or expert, do not enter the courtroom until you are called. If you are present at the trial before the evidentiary phase, you will not be able to intervene.
In short, you must act with respect and politeness. In a trial, seriousness is required and this must be demonstrated. Even if you are angry or the situation seems unfair to you, it is better to point this out outside the court.
The use of the toga
If you are a client, you do not have to wear the robe. You must be dressed appropriately, but nothing else is required of you. On the other hand, lawyers and solicitors, as well as the prosecutor, the judge or the Clerk of the Court of Justice are obliged to wear the robe in the Courtroom, as indicated in art. 187 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary .
You will notice that your lawyer's robe is not the same as that of a judge or prosecutor. The robes of judges, prosecutors or lawyers of the Administration of Justice have cuffs at the end of the sleeves, this serves to define the category to which the person wearing them belongs.