For many parents seeking to reunify with their children, courtrooms can seem like an intimidating place. In fact, court room decorum is a lot like preparing to dine with the Queen of England because there are rules and language used that are never used in real world settings. Nevertheless, its important to know what they are ahead of time so that one may feel confident in speaking and “pleading” in court.
The old saying that ‘reading is fundamental’ holds true. The more a parent, grandparent, or teen reads about the subject-matter of juvenile justice, criminal law, ad civil law, the more aptitude they will have in their understanding of the court processes. Reading will help the seeker learn the vocabulary, terminology, and language used by industry professionals. Moreover, the readers writing and overall communication with the court will improve as a result.
“What material should I read?”
It’s great to start with reading material from the Children’s Bureau available at the United States Administration for Children and Families website. Once at the site, one can read more about the supervising agency the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Spend time at the site because it can take days or even months to go through all of the policy material.
Another good place to read about class-action lawsuits on the behalf of children and families is ChildrensRights.org. The organization has a lot of experience with holding the agencies accountable for living up the the missions they profess to uphold. The great thing about this website is you get to see actual lawsuits!
After getting warmed up with the agencies and administrative readings, it is time to get down to brass tacks and read the law. Start with an outline of the key concepts that need to be addressed. After reading the outline, begin reading the Restatements of the Law on Children and the Law. This is one of the single best resources for understanding all the issues surrounding justice for your family.
By reading these documents you will be MORE prepared the the attorneys in court and maybe even the judge. In the even that someone tries to use a big word in order to give you a ‘raw deal’, you can call them on it and ‘ Object’ because you know what is happening and understand the proceeding.
“What if I don’t understand what I am reading?”
In the beginning stages of reading, don’t start off reading for comprehension. Start of reading just for familiarity. Keep in mind the practice makes perfect and that you may need to read one document 20 times in order to truly absorb and comprehend the material at a mastery level.
Trust the process. Begin with the end in mind and more importantly understand that this is a journey- a wilderness experience that God intended you to go through in order to build your character and test your faithfulness.
“Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning”. Psalm 30:5