At our law office, we handle cases pertaining to bankruptcy, personal injuries, medical malpractice, will and estates, and much more. But the same question comes up for all my cases, what should I wear to my hearing? Some people will ask this question, and others will not bother to ask, but today I am going to tell my viewers what to wear and why it is important to dress this way.
Let’s start with an example. If you file for bankruptcy, whether it is Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, you will have to go to a hearing. Which means that you will have to appear in front of a trustee, not even a judge. Does this mean that you should be able to dress however you would like? No! To be clear, there is no law that requires a person to wear more appropriate dress clothes, but here is what you should do.
Do not dress too casually, and do not dress up to the nines either. You don’t want the trustee or a judge to have a unfavorable and memorable thought of you. In other words, if you dress like a slob, the trustee may think you do not care about the case. Our clients are encouraged to avoid jeans, shorts, tee shirts, or other clothes that may be too casual. If you dress too properly, you may look as if you are trying to fool the bankruptcy system. The point is, dress respectively.
So what should you wear exactly? For men, wear pants, preferably khaki or dress pants with a formal pair of shoes. Also wear a button down, and if you do not have one, wear a collared shirt. For women, wear a formal blouse, and formal skirt or pants. Try to avoid wearing tennis shoes if you can.
In conclusion, try to dress in a respectable manner to have the trustee or judge look favorably upon you. Avoid giving them an excuse to judge your dress clothes, and instead, let the case play out with our help at the Law Offices of Nicholas J. Del Pizzo!