Contact the Judge’s Office. If you have a hearing, ask how it will be held:  In person? By phone? By video?

If the hearing is in person, read our article on Going to Court on Your Own During the Pandemic.   The rest of this article will talk about remote hearings.

The Court will provide you with a link to the hearing that will be held on a meeting program or app like Skype, GoTo, Zoom, Microsoft Teams or WebEx that you can log onto through your phone, tablet, or computer. Be sure to download the app your Court uses on a second device in case of technology issues on the date of the hearing.

Remember this is still Court, so dress in your best. Make sure your background is clean and presentable. Make sure you are in a quiet, well-lit, private area. Also, do not eat or drink anything during your hearing.

Using whichever app the Court uses, practice logging in and get used to the way it works. Try to do this at least two days before your hearing. If you are having trouble, ask for help or call the Court before to the hearing. Also, be sure to have your device’s charger handy during the hearing so you don’t lose power.

Tips: 

• Make sure you’re not muted, at the right time.
• Turn your camera on or off, at the right times.
• Make sure that you’re connected to the internet.
• Remain connected to a power source.
• Make sure the volume to your device is turned up.

The Court will provide you with a call-in number. Remember, do not have any background noises and distractions during the hearing. Be sure you know how to use your phone’s mute function.

Contact the Court to see how they want to handle the submission of evidence and exhibits. They will tell you what to do.

Be sure to speak slow and calmly. Pause between sentences in case of an audio or visual lag. Remember to dress for Court and do not have any background noises and distractions!