General information
Some of the basic steps that you may take for your trial include: making an opening statement, offering documents or images as exhibits, calling witnesses and asking them questions, cross examining witnesses called by the other side, making or defending against objections to evidence or testimony, and making a closing argument. Since every trial is different, you may need additional steps.
This information focuses on Superior Court bench trials (where the judge, not a jury, decides your case). You should also consult with the judicial assistant for your assigned judge to find out about any specific requirements of that judge.
- Trials in Civil Lawsuits from Justia
- Steps in a Trial from the American Bar Association
- Trial Overview: Going to Trial Without an Attorney from Pierce County
- How Trial Works from Genesis Law Firm
Free eBook about representing yourself in court
How to find the eBook about representing yourself in court
Chapters 10-19 pertain to information during a trial
Opening statements
An opening statement is a preview about the case and tells the court what you intend to prove.
- Effective Opening Statements from the American Bar Association
- Opening Statements from Mock Trial Strategies
- How to Write an Opening Statement from wikiHow
Offering exhibits
Exhibits are the documents, emails, texts, photographs, or other material that you want to have the court consider as evidence. Before you can use an exhibit, you need to "offer it" to prove its authenticity so that it can be admitted into the court record.
- 10 Steps for Presenting Evidence in Court, from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Appendix B gives concrete examples of how to offer specific types of evidence into court.
- How to have a witness introduce evidence for the court from WomensLaw.org
- Getting Exhibits Admitted In Court from wikiHow
The Rules of Evidence ER for the State Court apply to all evidence used in court.
Witnesses
At trial, each side can testify on their own behalf, or introduce (call) witnesses to testify about information the witness has seen, heard, or knows. Each side can also cross-examine the witnesses that the other person has called.
For tips on how to call a witness to give testimony, how to question the witness after they have been called (direct examination), how to give testimony yourself, and how to question the other side's witnesses (cross-examination):
- Presenting Your Case from WomensLaw.org
- Steps in a Trial: Direct Examination from the American Bar Association
- Steps in a Trial: Cross-Examination from the American Bar Association
- Five Steps to an Effective Cross-Examination from LexisNexis
- How to Cross Examine from wikiHow
The Rules of Evidence ER for the State Court apply to all evidence used in court.
Objections
An objection is how you tell the judge you believe that the other person’s evidence, testimony, or question shouldn’t be allowed. You can object to the entry of any type of evidence, as long as your objection is based on the Rules of Evidence ER for the State Court. The judge will then rule on your objection and either block the evidence or allow it to be admitted.
For tips on how to offer objections at trial:
- At the Hearing: Objecting to Evidence from WomensLaw.org
- Rules of Evidence and Objections: Mock Trial Rules PowerPoint from the University of Washington
- Top 10 Objections in Court: Get Ready for Trial from Law Venture
- At the Hearing: Hearsay from WomensLaw.org
- How to Object in Court from wikiHow
Closing arguments
A closing argument is your chance to explain why you should win the case as well as point out the weaknesses of the other side's case.
- Steps in a Trial: Closing Arguments from the American Bar Association
- Closing Arguments from Mock Trial Strategies
- How to Write a Closing Argument from wikiHow