Work with your attorney
What to look for in a family-law attorney, and how to interview candidates when time allows. How to bring organized information and clear questions to each meeting, so billable hours go to the work only an attorney can do.
Prepare for custody court, one decision at a time.
The Navigating Your Custody Battle course helps you prepare for attorney meetings, investigations, and hearings while supporting your child through the case.
- 11 modules
- Five-page workbook
- Self-paced
- Completion record
Self-paced · Preparation workbook · Completion certificate included. This is not represented as satisfying a court-ordered parenting class.
$49.95
Start the course · $49.95Written by Suzanne Dircks, M.A., LMHC.
Preview the court-day checklist
- 44 years
- helping families through custody
- 1,000+
- Guardian ad Litem investigations
Suzanne Dircks, M.A., LMHC, draws on her custody work to explain how parents can prepare. The course does not predict how your case will turn out.
Get ready for the next appointment
The lessons move from working with your attorney through an investigation and a hearing. Your case may follow a different order; the course helps you prepare for each.
Prepare for an investigation
Who investigates and what the appointment order says. What the investigator looks for: your records, interviews, the home visit, and sensitive topics. How to prepare your child for the process without coaching them.
Prepare for court while supporting your child
Hearings and trials, what to wear, nerves, testimony, and courtroom conduct. What to do when a safety concern comes up. Keeping routines steady and your composure intact, so your child is not drawn into the dispute.
Prepare for the week before court
An excerpt from Part 3 of the printable preparation workbook. The workbook is a planning tool, not a legal form, and nothing in it changes what a court decides.
Court-day checklist
From the five-page preparation workbook
Hearing names and procedures vary by court. Ask your attorney which issues your specific hearing will decide, what the judge expects, and how long you are likely to have.
The week before
- I know the date, time, courtroom, and how to get there, including parking or transit.
- I have reviewed my documents and anticipated questions with my attorney.
- I have asked about address-confidentiality or privacy protections if I need them.
- I have requested any accommodation I need (interpreter, disability accommodation, scheduling).
- I have arranged child care so my child is not exposed to the courtroom.
- I have talked with my own clinician if anxiety is affecting my health.
What to bring
- Any documents my attorney asked me to bring, organized and labeled.
- Identification.
- A notepad and pen.
- Tissues and water, if allowed.
The full page continues with what to wear, conduct on the stand, and what to do afterward.
See what's in the workbook
Questions to ask an attorney, with room for your notes
Preparing for an investigation: records, routines, interviews, and the home visit
A court-day checklist
Ways to support your child before, during, and after
Five letter-size pages. Print it and write on it. Each of the eleven modules ends with practical strategies, private reflection scenarios, and a short knowledge check. See all eleven modules on the course page.
Completion certificate for this course, not a court-ordered class.
Is this where you are?
- You are starting a custody case and do not know what to expect from the attorney, the court, or the people the court may appoint.
- An investigator, custody evaluator, or Guardian ad Litem has been named, and you want to prepare without rehearsing your child.
- You have a hearing coming up and you are more worried about your nerves than the facts.
- You are afraid of what the conflict is doing to your child, and you want to be a steady parent while the case goes on.
What the course cannot promise
- It is not legal advice. Procedures and the roles of court-appointed professionals vary by state, county, court, and appointment order. Follow your orders and your own attorney's advice.
- It will not tell you how to win, how to make the other parent look bad, or how to get your child to say something.
- It does not predict what a judge will decide, and it cannot promise any outcome.
Completion certificate documents this course only; it is not represented as satisfying a court-ordered parenting class.
Ordered to take a parenting class? Start with the court-ordered course.
Frequently asked questions
Does this course replace legal advice?
This course is education and does not replace legal advice; ask a qualified attorney about your situation. The first workbook section is a list of questions to bring to that conversation.
Is a certificate included?
Yes, a completion certificate. This course is not represented as satisfying a court order. Check the requirements of your own order before enrolling for that purpose.
Are local rules covered?
Procedures vary by state, county, court, and appointment order. The course explains the roles and the usual sequence; follow your orders and your attorney's advice for what applies to you.
How long does it take?
The course is self-paced. There are eleven modules, each built from short reading sections, practical strategies, four private reflection scenarios, and a five-question knowledge check. Work at your own pace and return whenever you need.
Who wrote it?
Suzanne Dircks, M.A., LMHC, a licensed mental health counselor and former Guardian ad Litem with more than 1,000 investigations. The course draws on that experience to explain how to prepare, communicate clearly, and keep your child out of adult conflict.
Start preparing for your next appointment
Work through 11 modules and a preparation workbook on attorney meetings, investigations, and court appearances.
$49.95 one-time purchase. Completion certificate documents this course only; it is not represented as satisfying a court-ordered parenting class.