OBJECTION your honor

[sixstringdad]

What is the name of your state? VA I am going to ask my daughters mother if I can spend more time with my daughter. I have joint legal custody and have visitations everyother weekend and a few hours every wednesday. If she rejects me I want to go to court and ask to modify the visitations for an extra day each week for a few hours. I have seen others who have this arrangment with joint custody so I don't see any problems with it. My question is**************....If I represent myself...Can I object to anything the mother says that is not admissable in court????I got to hear my lawyer do it alot and I would like to do it myself now...lol. The mother doesn't do to well in court even with her lawyer. She likes to make things up...lol. Any Advice?

[karma1]

(in CA)-and I tell ya, my brothers case went on for DAYS just waiting to be heard, so I got plenty of listening time for other cases...
Yes, I saw lawyers say those words, "I object" and in some cases, the objection was heard right then, in others, well, the judge politely told them to wait their turn....
From the pro se cases I saw, the judge got really upset if one party interupted another----and then, really, really, really, upset if he/the judge was interupted.
So, my advice would be wait your turn to speak, take notes, etc..and when it is your turn, then you can refer to whatever you are objecting to.
Also, the judge I watched, if one party made claims (for example, "he's an alcoholic...." etc....), the judge listened, but I dont think it carried much weight. Now, if there were declarations filed, (for example, my nieces mother filed a declaration stating we were all excessive smokers in my home....she's never been in my home, and we had quit smoking at least a month before this filing) the other party has to have a copy and the judge does read it--then judge questions each party.(smoking thing went no where..btw)

Another suggestion, if you can...get to the court house and observe your judge before your case comes up...you'll get a really great idea on how to handle things and the judges temperment, etc....my husband and brother had the same judge, even though they were different courthouses...I knew the minute we walked in for my brothers case that he was a fair judge and looked out for the children in all matters....no matter how many "objections" the other party tried.
good luck...

Do you know the Rules of Evidence? You better have a legal reason for objecting and be able to state it. You will really piss off the judge if you object w/out a valid legal reason. If you're going to do it don't object often. Judges have a certain tolerance level for pro se litigants but if it turns into a circus it will end quickly.

[sixstringdad]

thanks for the info....I don't plan to go in to court with the intent on pissing off the judge ...lol I've seen too many people go to jail for that...lol..All this one guy said to the judge was this is bull**** and he was in jail for a week ..lol Alot of what she says is hearsay stuff which I know won't hold up in court. And every time she started with "he said...or she said" my lawyer would cut her off real quick. Just wondering if I should do the same if I went on my own. But after reading this I think I might cool my jets...thanks.