Right Place, Right Time

• Know exactly where your conference or hearing is going to be held, including the address and telephone number.
• If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodations to be able to attend, or cannot attend in person, call the Court as soon as you receive notice, to see if you are eligible for special accommodations or arrangements, including a telephone hearing. Be prepared to provide a doctor's statement confirming the disability. Information about getting such accommodation in Philadelphia is available here.
• If you know in advance that you cannot attend a scheduled conference or hearing, contact the Court and opposing party or their attorney immediately, seeking a postponement (also called a continuance).
• Some courts have special hearing times for individuals representing themselves. Contact the Clerk's Office to find out if there are special hearing times for self-represented litigants.
• If a last-minute emergency arises, contact the Court by telephone. Call the Clerk’s Office first and ask whether you should also contact the judge's office. Also, alert the opposing party or attorney. Please note: if you do not show up for a hearing, a default judgment can still be entered against you, meaning that you lose for not showing up. Make every effort to attend the hearing to avoid this possibility.
• Arrive 15 minutes early for your hearing, prepared to proceed.
• Please note that many courthouses do not allow cell phones or laptop computers or other electronic devices inside. You may be required to check them with security. For more information about the relevant court policies, call your courthouse in advance.

How can I get a Language or Sign Language Interpreter?

• Litigants with Limited English Proficiency and those who are deaf or hard of hearing are entitled to a professional language or sign language interpreter for judicial and most administrative hearings.
• Court interpretation services are available for criminal and civil proceedings in all state and county courts.
• Let the Court know in advance that you need an interpreter. This will help ensure that one is available when you show up in court.
• The local courts are developing their own procedures for ensuring that litigants receive the interpreter services to which they are entitled. Contact the Clerk’s Office to find out the local procedures.
• In Philadelphia, for example, all requests for interpreters for all courts are processed through the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania’s Court Reporter, Digital Recording and Interpreter Administration Office. In addition to Spanish staff interpreters who provide language services to all court locations, Interpreter Services Administration hires private interpreting agencies to supply Court Interpreters for all languages other than Spanish, and for sign language, on an as-needed basis.
• In criminal cases and in civil cases involving low-income parties, the Court bears the cost of the interpreter services. In certain civil cases where the parties can afford the costs, the Court may include interpreter costs in fees assessed against the parties.

Be Prepared

• Be ready to prove your case. In any dispute, there are often conflicting stories. You can go to Court and just tell your story, but your chances of winning are better when you have other evidence to prove your story. Bring originals and copies of receipts, letters, bills, contracts, estimates, pictures, and witnesses - whatever you can gather that supports your case.
• Be careful about documents or statements you may bring to court. Generally, to have a statement from a witness, that person must be present in the courtroom. Notarized statements are generally not acceptable. For documents to be accepted, they may also have to be properly offered (presented to the Court in the proper way). The Rules of Evidence and the Rules of Civil Procedure govern these issues.
• Be prepared to answer questions about your case. The opposing party or attorney will have the opportunity to question you and your witnesses (this is called cross-examination), and the judge may also have questions.
• If you are acting without an attorney, you should be prepared to cross-examine (ask questions of) the opposing party’s witnesses.
• If there are documents you intend to submit as evidence, be sure to have multiple copies of each on hand: for the judge, the opposing counsel or party, and extra copies to be marked into evidence.
• Note that there are special rules - Rules of Evidence - that govern all court proceedings. Rules of evidence govern whether or not evidence is admissible (allowed to be presented to the judge or jury). Just because something seems relevant does not automatically mean that it is allowed to be presented in court.

Follow the Rules

• Courtrooms are very formal. Follow the procedures and speak only when it is your turn. Each side will get a chance to present its case. Be patient and allow the other side to have its turn.
• Always show respect for the Court, by respecting the judge, court personnel, and the opposing party and opposing counsel.
• If you do not understand what is happening, respectfully make this clear to the judge. It is customary to address the judge as “Your Honor.”
• Do not wear blue jeans, shorts or casual attire. Dress neatly and as professionally as possible.
• There may be a lot of waiting around or delays. Be patient.
• Passion helps, anger hurts. Going through a lawsuit can be an emotionally trying experience. The Court expects people to be controlled, wait their turn to speak, and remain respectful of the Court and other parties.

Expect a high degree of formality

The court setting is very different from any other setting in terms of social interaction between people. You will experience a high degree of formality at every level – be it your interaction with the judge, the jury, or the attorneys. Do not take it personally if someone involved in the case or a member of the court staff does not talk to you in court hallways: be mindful that ethical rules govern how (if at all) court officials and staff can communicate with you.
Also note that Pennsylvania attorneys, including the opposing party’s lawyer, are governed by Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct.
If you are represented by an attorney, the opposing party’s attorney can communicate with you about the subject of your case only if your attorney agrees to it, or if the opposing party’s attorney is authorized to do that by law or court order. For more information, please see Rule 4.2, Communication with Person Represented by Counsel, of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct.
If you are representing yourself, the opposing party attorney is governed by Rule 4.3 of Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct in exactly how s/he can interact with you. Thus, if the lawyer knows or should reasonably know that there is a possibility that your interests conflict or may conflict with his/her client’s interests, that lawyer is not supposed to give you any kind of advice, other than the advice to secure counsel. For more information, please see Rule 4.3, Dealing with Unrepresented Person, of Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct.
 
 Disclaimer: PMC does not provide legal advice or represent clients in court or other legal proceedings. This guide is created solely to help individuals navigate the courts. It does not serve as a substitute for legal advice and should not be interpreted as such.
 
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