Problem: Article: A subpoena is a legal command to show up to court on a certain date and testify. You should probably serve all of your witnesses with subpoenas. If the witness fails to show up, the judge could have them arrested and brought into court.  Your lawyer can arrange to serve subpoenas. If you are representing yourself, then you can generally get subpoenas from the court clerk. Remember to give sufficient notice. Don’t wait to serve the subpoena the day before your contested hearing. Generally, you need to give a couple weeks’ notice, though the amount depends on your court. Any document you introduce needs to be made into an exhibit. You probably must give the other parent a copy of all exhibits before your contested hearing. You can turn a document into an exhibit by attaching an exhibit sticker in a corner. If you want to introduce pictures, then put the sticker on the back. Unfortunately, people assume that they know you based on your appearance. For this reason, you always want to dress conservatively whenever you appear in court. You don’t have to wear a suit. In fact, you should wear clothes that are comfortable and that fit. See Dress for a Court Hearing for more information. Your lawyer should handle presenting your witnesses and cross-examining the other parent’s witnesses. Each contested custody hearing is a little different, but they generally following the same format:  Each lawyer makes an opening statement to the judge, laying out what the evidence will show. Whoever filed the child custody petition will present evidence first. The lawyer for the other parent gets to cross-examine the witnesses. The second parent gets to present their case. The lawyer for the parent who filed for custody is then able to cross-examine those witnesses. Each lawyer makes an argument to the judge about why it is in the child’s best interests to live with their client. Your primary task will probably be to testify. You should prepare for your testimony with your lawyer. Do a practice run and prepare for cross-examination by the other parent’s lawyer. When on the witness stand, remember the following tips:  Listen closely to the question asked. If you don’t understand the question, then say, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” The lawyer should rephrase it. Think before answering. You should never let a lawyer bully you into answering quickly. Instead, take a breath and think about your answer. Don’t volunteer information. Answer only the question asked. Never guess. If you don’t know something, say, “I don’t know.” Avoid arguing. Things can get emotional when the other parent cross-examines you and brings up uncomfortable subjects. Always remember to take a deep breath. The lawyer is trying to rattle you. After all evidence has been presented, the judge should issue an order from the bench. However, if the case is complicated, the judge might take the issue under advisement and contact your lawyer with the result later. No matter how unhappy you are, you should not show anger. You never know—you might see the judge again a few years down the road when you try to modify custody. If you are unhappy with the result, talk with your lawyer about whether you should try to appeal. With an appeal, you ask a higher court to review the trial record and determine if the judge made a serious error. If the judge did, the appeal court can set aside the judge’s decision.  Appeals are usually costly. You have to pay to have the court reporter prepare the trial transcripts. This could cost thousands of dollars. If you want to appeal, then move quickly. Courts generally give you only 30 days (or less) to file your Notice of Appeal with the trial court.
Summary: Subpoena your witnesses. Prepare documents as exhibits. Dress appropriately. Let your lawyer handle the hearing. Testify on your behalf. Receive the judge’s decision. Consider an appeal.

Problem: Article: Spend some time thinking about the type of person who will attend one of your performances. Will they by young or old? Experienced concert goers or new to the scene? People who will want to dance or sit still? Create a “model” concert goer in your mind and then make it your quest to entertain them. For example, if your songs all have a strong rhythm, then people may start to dance in the audience. You may look out of place if you just stand on the stage without moving. Instead, you might want to do a few moves while singing to lead the way. No one wants to watch the exact same stage performance for hours on end. That’s why it’s important to make slight alterations to your stage presence for every song that you play in a set. If it’s a ballad, you might simply stand behind the mic and let your emotions show through on your face. If it’s a yelled anthem, then you can hold the mic and jump around the stage to the rhythm. Pay attention to how your playlist develops. You want a list that showcases all of your song types and mixes them in. Another benefit of this is that you’ll get small breaks from movement during slower songs. Always be aware of where you are standing on the stage. Before your performance, decide exactly how much of the stage that you’ll use. You can plan to stay in one spot toward the front, however, it may be more interesting to the audience if you walk around to all areas on stage. This also gives the maximum number of people a good view of you performing, so they’ll feel like they’ve gotten their money’s worth. You can move slightly to the back or side of the stage, as other band members play their solo. Talk with your band members about your stage positioning. That way they’ll know where you’ll be for each song. This will give them some freedom to move around as well. Audiences will spend the majority of your set staring directly at you, so you must look the part. A good rule of thumb is to take your standard style and amplify it to the extreme. Wear clothes that are appropriate for the venue that you are at and the type of music that you are performing, too.  For example, if you are singing at a summer music festival, then wearing an evening gown or full suit will leave your audience confused. Instead, stay cool by wearing a loose dress, shorts, or jeans. Just like any stage performer, make sure that your audience can actually see what you are wearing. Intricate designs are not really a good idea onstage. Go with big, bold patterns and colors that are visible from a distance.
Summary:
Know what your audience expects and wants. Change it up a bit for each song. Vary your stage positioning. Give your band members the spotlight during their solos. Develop your own style of dress.