At the trial, things will happen in this order:
- Opening statements
- Plaintiff/Petitioner’s case-in-chief (witnesses and exhibits)
- Defendant/Respondent’s case-in-chief (witnesses and exhibits)
- Final arguments (also called closing statements)
When it is your case-in-chief, you must ask your witnesses questions, which is called “direct examination.” Generally, you start direct examination by asking the witness basic questions such as their name and address. If your witness is testifying as a professional, such as a police officer, you might also ask them for information about their job, their education, how long they have been doing their job, etc. You should also ask specific questions about the information the witnesses have about your case.
You may want to outline the questions you plan to ask your witnesses and make notes about any documents or other evidence you need to ask them about. You can practice with your witnesses ahead of time. Make sure your witnesses are ready, not just for questions you will ask them but questions the other side may ask as well, called “cross-examination.” Make sure you know what your witnesses will say and that they know they need to tell the truth.
You will also have a chance to question the other side's witnesses during cross-examination. The other side will question their witnesses first during their case-in-chief. The judicial officer will then give you an opportunity for cross-examination. You may want to outline questions to ask the other side’s witnesses.
Be prepared with follow-up questions, documents, or other evidence to ask them about. You can also choose not to cross-examine a witness.
Review the Civil Trial booklet for more information.
