How to Prepare for the Hearing
1st - What do I Bring?
- Affidavit of Service - Bring the completed form to the hearing.
- Evidence - You introduce facts in a few ways.
- You ask questions to witnesses about what happened.
- You ask questions to witnesses about documents you provide.
- You give your own testimony about what happened.
2nd - Your Introduction to Evidence
Be sure to view this video by Colorado Legal Services. You will learn:
- Basic evidence terms.
- How to properly present evidence.
- How to object to improper evidence presented by the other party.
3rd - All About Exhibits
- Bring any document that supports your request or defense.
- You bring documents into the case during witness testimony.
- You will ask the witness questions about the exhibit.
- Then, the court may consider this exhibit.
- Label each exhibit.
- Petitioners use numbers, beginning with the number "1".
- Respondents use letters, beginning with the letter "A".
- Put the label in the lower right corner of the first page.
4th - All About Witnesses
- You may ask witnesses to come to the hearing to answer your questions.
- You may also ask questions to the other party's witnesses. Those questions may:
- Clarify their testimony.
- Show that they are not a reliable or trustworthy witness.
5th - Getting a Witness to the Hearing
- A witness may agree to come to the hearing. Then, you do not need a Subpoena.
- If the witness will not come to the hearing, you need a Subpoena. File the Subpoena request with the clerk's office.
- Detailed Instructions: Instructions to Issue a Subpoena - JDF 79.
- Form 1: County Court Subpoena - JDF 80.2.
- Form 2: Notice to Subpoena Recipients - JDF 80.1.