Court Date

Local, state or federal court?

It's Middlesex Probate and Family court in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I'm not sure what that falls under.

The link below should provide the information you need. It may be possible to conduct the hearing telephonically but you may need to file a Motion to the presiding official.

Address and Telephone Number For the Court

Thanks a bunch Joanne :-) I already had the site bookmarked, but unfortunately I can't find an email address anywhere to ask questions, so it looks like I'll have to call them tomorrow. I hate calling court houses because they're so rude on the phone.

Small people in positions of small power. Down here we call it Motor Vehicle Department.

You are so right roger I call it the realm of clerkdom.

Montana here is what you need to do on the phone, before you dial write the date and the time. When anyone answers ask for there first and last name (write that down). If they refuse to help you tell them you would like to speak to a supervisor.

After that kind of dialogue the will think you are either a former federal employee, or state employee, or legal assitant - perhaps even a lawyer.

You should not hold your self out as any of the above but that is what they do to make sure they get through the Realm of Clerkdom!

Roger
You are so right. Same thing with the registry in Mass. Isn't it awful that people that are so rude actually get paid good money and keep their jobs? Fortunately they are very nice in those places where I live. When we first moved here and went to register my car I thought I had to have the wrong building because there was no line and everyone was so nice. I looked at my mother and said " now I know we picked the right place to call home" :-)

Joanne
That's a great idea :-)

Slightly OT here, but it's the same way in Kansas. I grew up in Fremont, CA, and moved to KS about 11 years ago. I used to have to wait a couple of hours just to go throught the first line at the DMV. Now, I may have spent that long for all the times here. And the longest I've ever waited for the license tags was at the end of the month. . . when you go in the beginning or middle, it's not that long of a wait.

In any event, MT, good luck with your court case. I too hate dealing with people on the phone. . .

Thanks Turner, I appreciate that :-D

Turner, We also called Fremont, CA, home at one time in our lives, but that was a few life times ago.

Mowry Avenue rocks! Lived there for a year or two myself.

Well, I got the info I needed and with the help of a very good friend, I'll have a court date within a month or so :-D I bess get my saddle polished for the trip.

I just called the court house and they tell me I have to wait another 2 months for a court date which they called a pre-trial date. This is about child support, so what's up with the trail stuff. None of my paper work told me I'd have to wait this long and my lawyer even said I should have a date by now. I am so pissed!

It's a pre-trial hearing. Every adversary hearing before a judge is called a "pre-trial" hearing. The Middlesex Probate court is so slammed with child-support issues and other family court issues (DYS etc.) that 2 months is a while, but not as long as it could be.

But, does that mean I have to go to court more than once? Obviously, that would be a problem.

I'm just beside myself that after all these years my ex keeps getting away with this crap. I was hoping to get to court in time, so that the DOR could garnish his tax returns for atleast the back support I'm owed.

In most jurisdictions you have to attend the pre-trial - which can be more than one session, as well as the trial. I just completed a procedure which took 4 pre-trials over a two-year period.

Do you know if that jurisdiction has a process called case management? They've started using that in some parts of Ontario, and some states. It means they HAVE to move things through faster - starts with a case worker/mediator before moving on to a judge.

What's your lawyer doing to keep things moving for you?

There is no trial in this case as it's simply a child support issue. We will go through a mediator before we go in front of the judge and if we don't come to an agreement before we go in front of the judge, the judge then decides, but it's all taken care of that day. Atleast it use to be that way. I'll be working when that time comes, so I pray that it will be a one time deal. My lawyer is not charging me for this case because he knows I can't afford it, so I'm doing all the leg work.

errrrrr, then why are they calling it a pre-trial?

i think you'll be very lucky if they get it done for you in one shot. it doesn't work that way here, or where you are now (we had a lawyer from your area in our office for a seminar today). certainly here, the appointment with the mediator (sometimes this is part of the pre-trial process) is not the same day as the time with the judge/arbitrator, as judges/arbitrators can't book 'maybe' times.

here, the pre-trial/pre-arb meetings are used to determine what documents are going to be needed to make a decision, and when everyone is going to be available for the actual mediation/arbitration/court date. Sometimes of course, things settle at this stage. Definitely my preference.

I don't know why they are calling it a pre-trial. I'll be going to court in Mass at Cambridge probate court and a child support issue is and easy in and out thing. I've already gone through this and it was all settled in the same day. I hope to god that things haven't changed and I will be stuck having to make more than one trip that way. Just this one trip is going to cost me a small fortune.