Q: I received notice of a hearing regarding a post divorce issue. Do I need to file an appearance?
I cant afford a lawyer, but don't qualify for aid. Can I just show up?
A: If an appearance fee has ever been filed on your behalf in the case you shouldn't need to worry about it again. This is true whether you paid it or your lawyer paid it. I encourage you to tell the opposing attorney that you'll be attending the hearing -- this keeps the avenues of communication open and means he or she is likely to wait for you to show up if you're running late, as opposed to telling the judge, "I haven't heard anything from the opposing party, so let's just enter an order and be done with it."
A: Technically, you don't have to file an Appearance because you are already of record. However, this type of Appearance is free (if you filed one in the case in-chief), so I would recommend doing so, especially if you have moved or have a new phone number.
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