10 ways to write a better court report

BY JERÉ ANTHONY

You’ve got the heart, you’ve put in the hours, and have made every effort possible to advocate for your CASA children but you still feel worried that your court report isn’t going to reflect all of the work that you’ve done. Many Advocates struggle with being intimidated by the idea of writing a court report, and for good reason. This single document is a summary of what you have seen, heard, acted on, and ultimately your opinion of the best interest of the child.

Have you ever wondered if you did it right or if you said the right things in the right way? Lucky for you, court report writing is about to become a little bit easier. Here are the top ten ways to write a better court report:

1. Write the most important thing first. When writing a long document, such as a court report, it is extremely important to prioritize your recommendations and findings and put them towards the beginning of the document. This way the judge will be sure to read this information, even if he/she doesn’t read this document in its entirety.
   
   
2. Use paragraphs to make the document easier to scan. White space is very important and helps the reader to separate different ideas and enhances the overall flow of the report. We want the judges to read all of the information in the report and be able to skim to each section quickly.
   
   
3. Gather first hand, fact based information. A good court report is always filled with fact based information. It will make your recommendation much stronger to include this and can help sway the judge’s decision.
   
   
4. Address each child specifically in your report. Separating each child’s information into different paragraphs makes it much easier for the judge to understand what it going on the case. We want to help the judge to see all of the information as clearly as possible.
   
   
5. Include a picture of your child. Including a picture of your CASA child on the front of the court report, is a great way to help the judge remember details about the case. This also helps the report to have an identity that the judge can empathize with.
   
   
6. Use timelines to map out events chronologically. Have you ever heard the expression, "a picture is worth a thousand words?" Imagery is a powerful tool and can communicate so much more than we can put into words. 
   
   
7. Include the child’s wishes. We know better than anyone that an abused child may not be able to make a rational decision about where they should live… in fact, that is what we are here for. Including the child’s wishes in the court report helps the judge to get to know the details of the case better and give everyone better understanding.
   
   
8. Offer other possible solutions. Recommendations do not have to be black and white. Get creative and come up with solutions that would provide the child with the best possible outcome. 
   
   
9. Meet with as many people as you can. Seeing the child in different settings and getting to know the important people in the case is vital in advocating for the best interest of the child. The judge will appreciate your effort and it will give your recommendation more influence.
   
   
10. Make recommendations easy to find. Put your recommendations at the beginning and the end of the court report, by doing so, it will be easier for the judge to identify and helps to give clarity to all parties.
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A good court report doesn't have to be full of industry jargon or be written by someone who has a Ph.D. The best court report delivers a clear message and is backed by fact based evidence. I hope this list helps with your process because you have already done the hard thing by doing the advocacy. Now we just need you to communicate all of your hard work and really drive it home.