1.  Be prepared.  If you are required to bring documents to prove or disprove a claim (i.e. a copy of a receipt to prove you paid for parking and should not have received a parking ticket), then make sure you have them before you arrive in court.

2.  Dress appropriately. Going to court is similar to going on a job interview; you will make a good first impression if you dress well.  A suit and tie for men and a business suit for women are a good rule of thumb when making a court appearance.

3.  Be on time.  If you have to be in court by 1 p.m., you should plan on getting to court at least 30 minutes beforehand in order to account for finding parking, traffic jams, etc. Failing to show up to court on time may result in paying increased fines and potentially stiffer penalties, which are all within the court’s discretion.

4.  Get legal help.  You may not know the ins and outs of the law or how the judicial process works, but an attorney will. Consider using a LawChamps lawyer to get matched with an affordable attorney who can make a single court appearance on your behalf or with you. We understand that you may hesitate to spend money on a lawyer when there's so much free information online. But lawyers know details about the law that web sites - even this one - just don't have the space or time to get into.

This article is intended to convey generally useful information only and does not constitute legal advice. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author, not LawChamps.