Presenting Emails to the Judge

[rmf]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

I have a court date for child support establishment and enforcement coming up in about a month.

I have emails from the mother stating that she will start paying child support soon and asking me to lie to the child support agency and say that she is currently paying child support so that the child support law suit against her can be dropped.

Can I present these emails to the judge myself? Or do I need an attorney to formally submit them as evidence?

 

[Zigner]

Evidence of what? I suggest that you simply decline to lie.

 

[rmf]

RD: Evidence of what? I suggest that you simply decline to lie.

I just have emails that I think the judge would find helpful in making his decisions. They are conversations we had about child support and how she wanted me to lie and say that she was already paying child support (when she wasn't) so I would drop the case on her.

 

[TheGeekess]

I just have emails that I think the judge would find helpful in making his decisions. They are conversations we had about child support and how she wanted me to lie and say that she was already paying child support (when she wasn't) so I would drop the case on her.

Best thing to do is let the case go forward and don't lie.

 

[mistoffolees]

Best thing to do is let the case go forward and don't lie.

I agree. Although I would first talk with ex and say "I'd be happy to tell the judge that your CS is now caught up - if you pay me for all the back support that you owe". Ex may prefer to do that rather than face contempt charges.

 

[rmf]

my question is do I need a lawyer in order to present these emails to the judge?

Or.... will the judge allow me to just hand the emails over myself?

 

[TheGeekess]

my question is do I need a lawyer in order to present these emails to the judge?

Or.... will the judge allow me to just hand the emails over myself?

What do you hope to accomplish? CSEA is handling the case, yes? She will pay per state guidelines. But by all means, take them with you and ask the CSEA attorney what HE wants to do with them.

 

[rmf]

Ok. Not sure if there will be an atorney there, but I will take them with me anyway.

I wasn't sure if i need to obtain my on attorney to go with me to the court date.

The situation is: this is my mother and I am trying to get CS for my younger sister that has been living with me for about a year.

 

[Zigner]

The emails are irrelevant to the matter at hand.

 

[mistoffolees]

The emails are irrelevant to the matter at hand.

I agree 100%. The fact that Mom tried to get OP to lie is irrelevant to how much CS will be ordered.

Now, if it the issue were contempt for non-payment, they just MIGHT be relevant, but OP would still have the problem of proving that Mom sent them.

 

[TheGeekess]

The emails are irrelevant to the matter at hand.

Absolutely.

 

[Ohiogal]

Not completely irrelevant. If he did it properly, he can use it to impeach his mother AND ruin her credibility.

 

[Zigner]

Not completely irrelevant. If he did it properly, he can use it to impeach his mother AND ruin her credibility.

If you are trying to say it would make the judge less inclined to believe the documents presented wrt calculating CS, then I will give that to you.

Beyond that, what is there to impeach?

 

[mistoffolees]

Not completely irrelevant. If he did it properly, he can use it to impeach his mother AND ruin her credibility.

That's true, but that's not likely to affect CS much, if at all.

And it's unlikely that OP will be able to properly use it to impeach Mom.

 

[rmf]

Not completely irrelevant. If he did it properly, he can use it to impeach his mother AND ruin her credibility.

So in order for me to use the emails in court, do I need an attorney or can i just hand them over??