An opening statement is a concise and to-the-point summary informing the judge:
For small claims cases, 10-15+ cases may be scheduled for one court session (court typically have 2 sessions: AM and PM, each lasting around 3 hours). This means roughly 10-20 minutes are allocated for each case, sometimes even shorter. You will be asked to give a copy of your Trial Presentation to the judge for review before your hearing officially starts.
When your hearing starts, the judge will likely approach it one of these ways:
It’s beneficial for both parties to prepare an opening statement as it can be a reference when the judge asks for a summary and is present in the Trial Presentation for the judge to review before diving into questioning.
Legal Educator at JusticeDirect. Carolina has a passion for breaking down complicated legal processes.
Legal Educator at JusticeDirect. Carolina has a passion for breaking down complicated legal processes.
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