WAY OT: character witness in divorce case

[flagdaytwins]

My neighbor is divorcing her husband. She has asked me, along with several neighbors, to serve as a character witness in her defense.

I want to support her, but her ex will remain living in our small neighborhood and we work in the same place. He is an angry man with issues. I am afraid of what he is capable of.

I am afraid he will retaliate if I serve as a character witness. I would not say a word about him in court, just attest to my friend's character and her role as a mother.

I have asked my friend to ask her lawyer a few questions such as, does her future ex have to be present for my testimony? If it's not about him, can I request I give my testimony without him? Judging by my friend's reaction to my concern I doubt she'll ask her lawyer my questions.

Any advice.

 

[Lassie Lynne]

I actually was a witness in a divorce case. At the time, it was my boyfriend. He had been seperated for years from his ex-wife. She was even engaged to another man (and pregnant with his child too), but it had taken them a few years (mostly due to her) to settle and get the final divorce. She was sueing him for divorce, but.....didn't bring a witness to colloborate that they had been living apart for all of those years . Since I was there as moral support, my boyfriend's lawyer begged me to be her witness so that the final decree could go through, if I hadn't, it would have been another 6 months.

It was easy-peasy.....I just answered a few questions about how long I knew personally if they lived apart and if there was any hope for reconsilliation. Since the child custody had already been taken care of, there really wasn't any issues to deal with. I didn't even have be questioned by her lawyer (who actually was a nice man), his lawyer did it. But, I did have to do it in open court, in front of anyone in the court room.

 

[ccgirl]

Unless I could submit a character reference and remain anonymous, I wouldn't do it. As you said, you are afraid. I just wouldn't put myself or my family in that position. As a PP stated, character witnesses are in an open court. I believe, you are under oath so his lawyer can ask you questions as well. Good luck with your decision.