Learning About Criminal Law Cases

Just like in other cases, cross-examination is also part of divorce hearings, which begins after you have testified to your side of the story. During cross-examination, your partner's attorney will try to poke holes into your testimony and get you to agree to or support your spouse's case. The lawyer will do this by focusing on different parts of your testimony such as these three:

Testimony Favorable To Your Spouse

Although divorcing couples tend to have opposing views on most things, you may find yourself agreeing with at least one aspect of your spouse's stance. During cross-examination, expect your partner's attorney to focus on any positive thing you may have said or agreed to during your testimony. The attorney will do this to paint your partner in a good light and emphasize that his or her client is a good person by showing that even you agree with him or her.

While you don't want to pay glowing tributes to your partner, you also shouldn't contradict your earlier testimony. Therefore, the best way to deal with such questions is to keep your answers brief.

Questionable Testimony

If you have made any questionable comment during your testimony, expect the opposing counsel to ask you questions on that too. That something is questionable doesn't mean it's not true. However, if the attorney senses that you can't prove your statements, then he or she will ask difficult questions to prove to the court that your testimony is unreliable. Therefore, it's always best to make statements you can prove. Hopefully, you will discuss such things with your lawyer before going to court.

Questions on Your Memory

The human memory isn't perfect, and lawyers know this. If there are parts of your testimony that described past events, expect your partner's lawyer to be fixated on those too. The lawyer's aim will be to upstage you by showing your memory as unreliable. He or she may even do this by focusing on insignificant parts of your statement. After all, the goal here is not to correct you or get the correct information, but to create doubt on your testimony as a whole. This is why it's important to prepare for your hearing and get your facts right from the beginning.

Your attorney will prepare you for cross-examination before the hearing. It's important to follow his or her advice, so you don't sabotage your case. Don't forget that the divorce lawyer has handled similar issues in the past and knows his or her trade well.