Your personal appearance matters when you appear in a court of law. If you show up with messy hair, stained shirts, and pants that dangle down over your rear-end, you are going to be perceived differently by a judge and jury than if you wore a nice outfit appropriate for your age and surroundings. How you are perceived can affect the outcome of your case – you want the judge and jury to find you respectable and trustworthy and your personal appearance goes a long way to meeting that goal. Here are several tips to help you create a positive personal appearance when appearing in court.
Dress Conservatively
The courtroom is not the place to show how fashionable you are or how much jewelry you own. You are not there to compete with how other people dress in the courtroom and wearing outlandish or showy clothes might make the jury and judge think you are not taking this whole process seriously. If you are a man, you should wear a conservative looking gray or blue suit with a white shirt and polished dress shoes. If you are a woman, a business suit or a nice dress would be suitable.
Hair and Makeup
You should take the time to visit the barbershop or beauty parlor before you go to court. Again, you don't want to get a flashy hair-do or make-over that will make people notice your hair more than they pay attention to what you have to say. Conversely, you don't want to appear like a slob and have people think you really don't care about what is happening and you are showing it by dressing down in a contemptible manner. This really won't go over well if you are appearing in court in a child-custody lawsuit. If you don't even take the time to look presentable in court, a judge or jury can assume you won't take the effort to properly care for your children.
Tattoos
Tattoos have become popular over the past decade, but a court of law is not the place to show them off. Courts are conservative in nature and many people may not share the same opinion of tattoos that you have, and as much as it is your right to have them, other people have the same right to dislike them. Do your best to cover up your tattoos in case you come across a judge or jury member who may harbor ill-feelings toward people who have tattoos all over their bodies.
You should consult with your lawyer to find out what other things you can do to your appearance that will make a favorable impression on a judge and jury.
