How to Tick-Off a Family Law Judge
One of the quickest ways to anger a family law judge is to bring a child into the courtroom without express permission. I’ve seen it happen at the Harris County Family Law Center on several occasions, and the result is always the same. The party who brought the child to court receives a stern “talking-to” from the bench. Though family law often revolves around children and children’s issues, the rule of thumb is to NEVER bring a child to court or into the court room unless expressly instructed to do so by the judge or your attorney.
There are many good reasons for this. First, children who are school aged should be attending school – not missing school to attend court. Second, divorce and other family matters involve high conflict, which is better left for the adults and not for children to experience at court. Third, court is an intimidating place even for adults. Imagine how a child would feel coming to a strange place where people he/she does not know will make decisions about the most personal parts of the his/her life. Finally, the subjects discussed in family court are sometimes rated PG-13, R, and at times X! Such topics (and language) are not appropriate for children of any age.
Obviously, there are exceptions to the general rule of thumb, such as when the judge wishes to interview the child in chambers, or during a final hearing in an adoption case. These are times when the judge wants input from the child, and the court staff makes special arrangements to ensure the child will have a good experience in court.
The Houston-area family law judges are not mean people. They are charged with protecting the best interests of children in family cases, and to carry out this duty, the policies about bringing children to court must be strict. Rely on your attorney to provide direction on this. If you are a pro se litigant, then call the court clerk or coordinator to ask about the court’s policies concerning the presence of children.
