Over the years I have worked with thousands of witnesses, have prepared them to speak in court and have called them to testify. Over time it is easy to take the basic instructions that I give everyone for granted, answer the question, do not evade, or go into extra details, do not appear angry, do not argue with the other side.

Recently, I was a witness in a case, and got to answer questions in court. It went fine, but I was glad that I had the experience, it showed me how hard it can be to follow the basic advice, to not argue with the opposing attorney, to not want to get into extra details. I was able to follow my own advice, remain calm, answer the questions, but I understand how hard it can be to do that for my clients and other witnesses. It is not easy being in the hot seat, the witness-stand in a courtroom. I have been there, but, with a little practice and following the basic rules, you will get through the experience. While it can be stressful, it is rarely as exciting as what you see on TV.