Article: A subpoena is a legal command to show up to court on a certain date and testify. You should probably serve all of your witnesses with subpoenas. If the witness fails to show up, the judge could have them arrested and brought into court.  Your lawyer can arrange to serve subpoenas. If you are representing yourself, then you can generally get subpoenas from the court clerk. Remember to give sufficient notice. Don’t wait to serve the subpoena the day before your contested hearing. Generally, you need to give a couple weeks’ notice, though the amount depends on your court. Any document you introduce needs to be made into an exhibit. You probably must give the other parent a copy of all exhibits before your contested hearing. You can turn a document into an exhibit by attaching an exhibit sticker in a corner. If you want to introduce pictures, then put the sticker on the back. Unfortunately, people assume that they know you based on your appearance. For this reason, you always want to dress conservatively whenever you appear in court. You don’t have to wear a suit. In fact, you should wear clothes that are comfortable and that fit. See Dress for a Court Hearing for more information. Your lawyer should handle presenting your witnesses and cross-examining the other parent’s witnesses. Each contested custody hearing is a little different, but they generally following the same format:  Each lawyer makes an opening statement to the judge, laying out what the evidence will show. Whoever filed the child custody petition will present evidence first. The lawyer for the other parent gets to cross-examine the witnesses. The second parent gets to present their case. The lawyer for the parent who filed for custody is then able to cross-examine those witnesses. Each lawyer makes an argument to the judge about why it is in the child’s best interests to live with their client. Your primary task will probably be to testify. You should prepare for your testimony with your lawyer. Do a practice run and prepare for cross-examination by the other parent’s lawyer. When on the witness stand, remember the following tips:  Listen closely to the question asked. If you don’t understand the question, then say, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” The lawyer should rephrase it. Think before answering. You should never let a lawyer bully you into answering quickly. Instead, take a breath and think about your answer. Don’t volunteer information. Answer only the question asked. Never guess. If you don’t know something, say, “I don’t know.” Avoid arguing. Things can get emotional when the other parent cross-examines you and brings up uncomfortable subjects. Always remember to take a deep breath. The lawyer is trying to rattle you. After all evidence has been presented, the judge should issue an order from the bench. However, if the case is complicated, the judge might take the issue under advisement and contact your lawyer with the result later. No matter how unhappy you are, you should not show anger. You never know—you might see the judge again a few years down the road when you try to modify custody. If you are unhappy with the result, talk with your lawyer about whether you should try to appeal. With an appeal, you ask a higher court to review the trial record and determine if the judge made a serious error. If the judge did, the appeal court can set aside the judge’s decision.  Appeals are usually costly. You have to pay to have the court reporter prepare the trial transcripts. This could cost thousands of dollars. If you want to appeal, then move quickly. Courts generally give you only 30 days (or less) to file your Notice of Appeal with the trial court.

What is a summary?
Subpoena your witnesses. Prepare documents as exhibits. Dress appropriately. Let your lawyer handle the hearing. Testify on your behalf. Receive the judge’s decision. Consider an appeal.