Georgia Home Law

Our first post in the series "What Not to Wear...to Court" is a bit like an undergraduate  psychology textbook.  We'll discuss WHY you should dress appropriately for court.  And no, it's not because  there are going to be a bunch of snobby lawyers there.  We dress appropriately because we have two goals in mind.    They are:

No doubt you've heard the cliche "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."  It's true.  And in court, you only get one chance to make any impression.  Since you have only one chance, and not a lot of time to tell the judge/attorneys/jury about yourself, what you look like matters.  They will - not might, but will - draw conclusions about your credibility and your truthfulness based upon what you look like.  It's sad and superficial, but it's also human nature.

So, on that note, let's discuss specifics.  

First, think about the reason you are going to court in the first place.  Are you asking a judge to modify a child support arrangement?  Have you been evicted from your apartment and summoned to come to a hearing?  Are you going to ask a jury to award you a million dollars for a bad car accident?  Whatever the reason, you are either asking the court to do something that you can't do yourself, or you are asking the court to prevent someone else to do something to you.  And most likely, the stakes are high.  You need to realize that the people you are going to see - a judge or jury - have the power to do something to you or for you.  Remember that.  And then dress in a manner that shows you respect their power.

Think about this.

Imagine you are the judge making a decision whether to award a mom more money in child support.  Do you get the impression from this outfit that the woman respects your authority? 

Probably not.

What if the woman came to court wearing this?

The two women above probably evoke vastly different feelings in you.  With the first lady, you might get the feeling that she doesn't care very much about the process and why she's there.  After all, court is not a "something you do everyday" kind of thing.   But she decided instead to wear something one would wear everyday: jeans and a t-shirt.  If she doesn't care enough to distinguish her day in court from every other day in her life, then why should the judge or jury care about her case?   She doesn't appear to have very much respect for the process.

Plus, believe it or not, the woman's outfit in the first picture is distracting.  If I'm the judge, my mind is racing with thoughts like, "Is something wrong with her and is that why she is wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a bandanna to court?" or "Does she have enough money to buy a suit?"  I may also be wondering, "Is she so upset with the state of things that she was too depressed to get dressed up this morning?" or "Did she spill coffee on her suit and this was all she had in her car to wear?"  I don't know the answers to these questions, but my mind wants to figure out what's happening.

On the other hand, the woman in the second picture looks like she cares  about the process, is put together, and she is ready to take care of the business at hand.  Her outfit does not distract me, so I feel ready to hear what she has to say.   

Second, whatever the reason for your court appearance, you will probably have to testify (or answer questions asked of you).  You want the judge or jury to believe you, right?  Otherwise, what's the point?  So, dress so that you look worthy of being taken seriously.  Dress so that you look truthful.

Does this outfit inspire the feeling in you that this lady will tell you the truth?

What about this outfit?

Note - and this is important - you do NOT have to wear a suit to court.  The outfit on the woman above is appropriate.  She looks like she respects the process, is put together and ready to talk business.  Additionally, her clothes do not distract me from the job at hand.  I would recommend, however, taking a neutral-colored cardigan or jacket (bright colors may be distracting) because most courtrooms I've been in have been very, very cold.

Stay tuned; our next post will be a "Do" and "Don't" list of specific items to wear.  See you then!