Doing something new or different can be scary. You might not know what to expect, which can make you imagine the worst. If you are preparing for a meeting of the creditors or if you are taking your bankruptcy case to court, you naturally might feel nervous and unsure of how to act. The good news is that you can prepare for your court hearing or meeting of the creditors and do everything in your power to make the right impression. This will not only help the meeting or hearing go smoothly, but it will make you feel confident and help you have a positive bankruptcy experience. By following these tips, you’ll be able to make a great first impression when meeting important people in your case.
- Be respectful. This is the golden rule whenever you are meeting new people and want to make a good first impression. Everything that I will talk about in this post will come back to respect and honesty. You want to show the judge presiding over your case or the creditors involved in your bankruptcy that you take bankruptcy seriously. If you seem uninterested in the case and spend time on your phone, avoid eye contact, or make jokes, a judge or creditor will never believe that you’re serious. So, always make sure that you address the judge respectfully, make sure that you rise when he or she enters the room and wait to be seated until he or she is, and don’t make jokes about the case. While you might just be trying to lighten the mood, a judge won’t appreciate your jokes. If dealing with creditors, make sure that you listen intently to everything they say, ask appropriate questions, and provide the information that is asked of you.
- Be focused. Even if you’re not being directly spoken to, you need to stay focused on what is happening during the meeting or hearing. I know that sometimes it is hard to understand what is going on in the courtroom or the technical language that creditors use might be confusing, but this case will effect your life and you should be invested in it. If a judge or creditor sees you playing on your phone, reading a book, listening to music, doing personal work, etc. it will be viewed as highly inappropriate and disrespectful. Do yourself a favor and don’t bring your laptop or personal work, and turn your phone OFF during the hearing or meeting.
- Be on time. A great way to make a good first impression is to arrive for your appointment promptly. To really be “on time” and prepared, you should try to arrive 10 minutes early. This will give you time to find parking, find the room you’re supposed to be in, and collect yourself before the hearing or meeting. In order to arrive a few minutes early, make sure that you leave your house with plenty of time to get there. If you know that you’re bad with directions, leave a few minutes early to account for traffic and making wrong turns.
Meeting with a judge or creditors in your case can be a nerve-wracking and overwhelming experience, but if you follow these tips, you’ll make an awesome first impression. And remember, the more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel, which can only help during this stressful time.
If you have any questions about the Bankruptcy process, please feel free to call or text us at 203-713-8877. Thank you.