How to Get Ready for Court
This section helps you get ready to go to court.
Court Rules
Most courts have local rules that everyone in court must follow. These rules include:
- What you can and cannot wear to court
- How to talk to the judge and other people in court.
Click here to find the local rules for your county on the Administrative Office of the Courts website. Some counties put information on their court websites. Click on your county name on this map or list to find out if your court has a website.
There are guidelines and videos that may help you understand and prepare for general sessions court. Click here to read the guidelines. The guidelines are also available in Spanish here. Click here to watch the videos.
Read More to About Getting Ready for Court
The legal aid agencies listed below have information at their websites that can help you get ready for court and to represent yourself.
- What to Expect in Court, by Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS)
- How to represent yourself in a civil (not criminal) case in General Sessions Court, by Legal Aid of East Tennessee
- Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has booklets that explain:
- Your legal rights
- Legal problems you can solve on your own
- West Tennessee Legal Services has helpful forms and brochures.
- Should you represent yourself in court? by Southeast Tennessee Legal Services can help you if you represent yourself in court. They also have other forms and brochures.
- TennLegalAid has free booklets about many legal issues.
Important! Court employees are not allowed to make referrals to lawyers, do legal research, or give legal advice.