5 tips for your first court appearance

Whether you are a practicing lawyer, a retired lawyer or a new law graduate, at some point of your legal career you may feel that being an appearance attorney is not a bad idea at all. Gaining more experience is just one benefit of working as an appearance lawyer. You will definitely like the flexible schedule. Finally, why not earn extra money on the side? Suppose you are in a court for a case, and there is an appearance in the same department. You can take it and make extra $60-130 just because you were there. Whatever reason for your first court appearance, you might want to know where to start.

In this article, I am going to give you some tips on how to take advantage of the AppearMe Web and Mobile App and how to look professional in the court.

 

Get hired as an appearance attorney within minutes

The good news is that you can get hired within minutes using the AppearMe App. If you are an appearance lawyer who is looking for real clients with real cases, all you need to do is to go check out the app.

AppearMe is an on-demand web and mobile app that connects thousands of attorneys within minutes. If you are already in a court with one or two hearings, you can spot the offers that are near you and take them. Your chances of finding a right hearing for you are high since you will get lots of offers in a day.

 

Familiarize yourself with the court rules

Going online to check the court you will appear is a good idea. Many courts have specific rules to follow, and you need to make sure you are fully aware of them. Some courts are more formal than others. It’s a good idea to tailor your advocacy style to accommodate with the forum.

You may need to check whether the hearing is still on the calendar, whether the court has issued a tentative ruling and anything else that may require your specific attention.

 

Be on time and professional

Now that you are hired to work as an appearance attorney, all you need to do is to appear in the court. Appearing on time shows your professionalism. Even if you are in the court for such a minor matter as submitting the missing documents, don’t forget to dress professionally. The first impressions always count.

 

Don’t talk on another lawyer’s behalf

Acting as an appearance lawyer means there is a high chance that you receive a lot of questions on the case. As long as you are acquainted with the case, you will be able to answer to most of the questions but never speak on another lawyer’s behalf. You have the responsibility to appear in the court and complete the assigned task.

 

Submit the report and get paid

If you are using the AppearMe app, you need to submit a report to the attorney of record after the appearance. When you send the final results, you will get paid for your work. The appearance will be considered completed when you click the “Close and Report” button on the application and submit a summary of the appearance. You will need to set up a checking account to receive your money automatically for each case.

Finally, try to receive positive feedback from your client as you may get many more offers from him in the future!

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