Courts reaction to bringing children to hearing?

[jluk74]

We have no option but take our 4 year old to court with us on Tuesday. We have no family within 300 miles and all of our friends will be working. I am a stay at home mom so never had a need for child care, don't even have a babysitter for the odd time. Will this make us look bad? Our lawyer never said anything when we brought him to each of our meetings, but I still wonder.

[blankslate]

You should ask your lawyer but I think it will be agreed it is not a place for children. Maybe your attorney will have a suggestion or you can look into a daycare for the day?

[JRScott]

Children usually don't respond well to the lengthy times involved. You could get lucky and go first, but that's not always the case. It is also not uncommon for the court to be behind so it could take an hour or two to actually get done even if your particular 341 is only 2 minutes....just depends on when they call your name.

Keep in mind you can't bring electronics into the proceedings or waiting room. The guards will generally confiscate these. About all you could bring would be a book or other similar item to occupy the child.

If at all possible it might be good to check with your church, co workers etc to see if anyone can look after the child for a few hours. Otherwise calling your lawyer for suggestions might work too.

[teacher]

I would either try to get him/her into a daycare for just the day, or bring a friend with you that would be willing to go outside with your kid.

[Stilltheone]

At our 341 there was a couple who brought their kids and our trustee almost threw them out of the room. The trustee did NOT like it that they were there.

I would DEFINITELY try to find an alternative for the day.

[sophia]

I too am a stay at home mom and I hired a sitter last week to come 3 hours this week and 3 hours next week so she could get used to my kids so that the following week on the big day she will be comfortable sitting from 7:30 am (when we have to leave) until whenever we get home.

Our lawyer told us under no circumstances should we bring the kids.

She has a AA in education and is starting her Bach degree in a few months.

As much as we can not afford it, we are paying her the $12 an hour she asked for and as an incentive to not cancel on the big day $15 and hour.

I have a drop in daycare center as a back-up just in case.

[OregonMom]

Find a sitter, I believe our lawyer said no children in court. Can you get a family member to come down for a few days and visit and babysit? Drop in care? There is a section on craigslist for sitters, or???

[my3girlies]

I wonder if this varies in different districts. Our lawyer had said that our 341 might be July 3rd and I was very worried about childcare for my 3 year old daughter. She is severely autistic and my mother-in-law and 12 yo daughter are the only people that watch her. They were both going to be gone that day and I was stressing about what we were going to do. Our lawyer told us to bring her with us and that it wouldn't be the first time clients have had to bring a child to their 341.

Thankfully our 341 is July 10th, so it won't be a problem. I cannot imagine trying to take my daughter with us to court.