How Much Work Goes into Preparing for a Hearing or a Trial?

              The time and money needed to prepare for and participate in a hearing or a trial depends upon the complexity of your case, the length of the hearing or trial, and the number of witnesses. Preparation often includes reviewing documents, photographs, emails, and texts, organizing those items for presentation at court, and analyzing which items should be used as evidence.  Attorneys also need to think through the questions they intend to ask their client, witnesses, and the opposing party, and anticipate strategies the other party/their attorney may use to plan for those risks.  Attorneys, in consultation with their clients, will also determine which witnesses to call based on the value of their potential testimony and trial time constraints. Attorneys must also prepare clients and witnesses for their testimony. 

The court often orders attorneys to prepare written arguments, motions, proposed orders, and other pretrial filings. They may also be ordered to file written closings after the trial.  These writings require legal research and analysis of the law and the facts of the case, in order for the attorney to present facts and arguments thoughtfully and persuasively.

Preparing for a trial is often time-consuming, and since attorneys bill for their time, it can get expensive.      

In complex financial cases, or cases where many financial issues are in dispute, trial preparation can get particularly costly because exhibits are often voluminous and these documents need to be reviewed carefully.

In cases where children are the focus, the attorney will often review texts, emails, parenting application communications, and photographs to determine what will or will not be helpful to their client at trial.

A lot of the work attorneys perform to prepare for a hearing, or trial is thinking and analysis; work that isn’t always visible to a client but can be quite time-consuming.  The work attorneys put in to prepare for a hearing or trial ensures that the process goes smoothly, that all issues are addressed, and that the testimony and evidence are focused on the issues in dispute and are focused on the arguments the client wants to make.