Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Firstly, the document must be headered witness statement. Here you will outline the evidence to support the application in court. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Write-a-Character-Affidavit-for-Child-Custody-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Write-a-Character-Affidavit-for-Child-Custody-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/76\/Write-a-Character-Affidavit-for-Child-Custody-Step-1.jpg\/aid6508527-v4-728px-Write-a-Character-Affidavit-for-Child-Custody-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Conclusion (1 paragraph): Clearly restate your support of the parent's custody requests. The exact format and space needed for a notary block vary from state to state. Closing & signature: Thank the judge for their time and consideration. Because the proceedings are formal, your witness statement should follow a certain format. If your observations are not relevant to anything at issue in the case, they won't be admissible. The court may use the witness evidence to support a partys case. Both parents can submit a character reference letter as part of this paperwork. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This will be considered an official correspondence regardless of the circumstances causing you to write this letter. As an example, it is best if you can get someone from the community like a teacher that has seen you grow as a person to write a good reference to the court. If using this form as a template, enter the Name of the Defendant on the blank line. It helps to provide specific examples of positive actions they have taken to better themselves or others. 4 attorney answers. This type of statement is used by a judge to help them determine what type of sentence should be imposed. Tell the judge who you are writing the letter for. The first of which will be a positive and clear identification of the author. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. ocDMEOuW%x%,M(-TOssh w@X_o'ZtTg3T4? He shares his knowledge and expertise not only with his clients, but also with his fellow bloggers and readers. A strong character reference letter showing how the issues are in the past and do not affect your parenting can be crucial in these situations. Tell us a bit about your matter, and we will get back to you the same day. Kevin Gardner graduated with a BS in Computer Science and an MBA from UCLA. Get up to $3,345 per month. Include Your Credentials In this context, "credentials" refers to the reason that you have been asked to give testimony. Begin describing the events that you have witnessed. As a result, there will be some requirements that must be met. Writing a witness statement can be daunting as you want to ensure its written correctly. 8E Does the defendant refuse to go out drinking with his or her friends or coworkers to spend more time with his or her family. Character reference letters are usually a page long (two pages max). 3. You would answer those questions in first person rather than third person, so it is appropriate to do the same in your written witness statement. Let the judge know how the defendant plans to make changes in their life and that you believe that they have learned a valuable lesson. Last Updated: December 9, 2022 Nothing ends well when you start out like that. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The body paragraph be your main argument why the recommended individual is a person of high moral character. They may advise you to get letters from more than one person. Contempt of court is punishable by up to two years imprisonment and a fine. If the defendant is a good provider for the family or is devoted to his or her family, bring that up and provide examples. Doing so will lend authenticity to your statement. Enter your Name and Residential Address on the first three lines of this page. In some situations, it can help reduce a sentence as the overall character of a defendant may be good. Instead of testifying in court, you would be writing down your testimony and signing it. Begin the first paragraph with your name and profession. Make sure you have the judges name and title correct. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. The character witness letter is an important letter that has a significant impact on someone's career, lifestyle, and even freedom. The Greeting should be placed two lines below the Subject Line above. x[onqzE,/=`{)p=EpPz[gHI*r7/nn5{{~C}CfV]_syzY Answer a few questions to check your eligibility. A character witness letter is a document that is often used in judicial cases to demonstrate a defendant's personality, morals, and reputation. When you know the charges against the defendant it sends the judge a message that you do know what the defendant has done but that . I've read some that started out like this, "Well, me and Dippety Doo (that's my cousin) were shooting dice and then Moopy came up and pulled out a gun." These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I did the best I could, and the insurance company ended up ruling it the other driver's fault (yeah, running a red light will do that), so I came out all right, but it was so hard to sit there on the curb with a pen, a form and a clipboard and try to put in words why my front end was crunched. One cannot question a witness that is not present. 2. The attorney representing the subject of this letter may have preferences regarding this so make sure to contact them. Avoid using "we". If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". In other words, you need to explain to the court why you have the standing to speak about a certain issue. Its important to be specific and point out how incarceration will affect the defendants family, employment and future life. Legal Reader is devoted to protecting consumers. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A good character witness statement should be written professionally as it will be reviewed by a judge. Here are the basic steps you need to take to write a statement: 1. Make sure to mention (in some manner) how you want the Recipient to react to this letter. Subscribe to our newsletter and learn something new every day. An application number and, if applicable, the opposition/cancellation number, The name of the applicant/proprietor that the application is looking to support, The name of the defendant/applicant for cancellation (if applicable). PTSD can turn a friendly, outgoing person into a withdrawn loner. When you give testimony, you make an oath attesting to the truth and accuracy of the information you have to give. Here's a quick four-part template your witness can use when crafting a buddy letter. It can turn a calm, easygoing person into a powder keg. Each numbered statement typically covers one subject. Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. By Elizabeth Dickey Free evaluation for disability benefits. Introduction (1 paragraph): State the name of the parent on whose behalf you're writing, explain how you know them and for how long. Tell the Truth When you're giving a character reference in the context of law enforcement or legal proceedings, it's obvious that your subject isn't perfect. For added clarity, break down the events into a numbered sequence. Has the defendant given up work or education to take care of a sick relative? If a jurisdiction requires a specific format, be sure to follow it exactly. If the DUI Defendant has mentioned seeking help for a substance abuse problem, make sure to state this intent. 3. Next, check to see if your state provides an affidavit form, which can be used as a template for your letter. Remember that writing a character reference makes you a witness in the case, so take your role and the letter seriously. Introduce yourself by name and profession. The body of the witness statement is the crucial stage. If the defendant took care of a sick relative or is a good provider, this information can be used. A witness statement is a signed document that records the evidence of a witness. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If there are any questions regarding this content and its length, you may wish to consult the Parent/Guardian or his or her Attorney. We take pride in exposing the hypocrisy of corporations, other organizations, and individuals whose actions put innocent people in harms way. Method 1 Signing an Affidavit Prepared for You Download Article 1 Understand why your affidavit is needed and how it will be used. For example, if you are the child's baseball coach and have observed the parent interact with the child at games and practices, you might mention how long you've been a youth baseball coach and approximately how many other parent-child relationships you've observed. Man writing on paper; image by Helloquence, via Unsplash.com. Want to save up to 30% on your monthly bills? Read More: How to Prepare a Will-Say Statement. In the United States, litigants usually forgo witness statements in favor of a more extensive and direct deposition of each potential witness prior to the trial date. You should also indicate that you know the type of charges that the defendant has committed. However, this is not always possible. I'm writing this character witness letter for Miss Ashley Peterson who has been my office colleague for more than 3 years now. The relevant details include your: The body of the witness statement is the crucial stage. In a circumstance where youve knowingly made a false statement, the court can hold you in contempt of court. End the statement with the following: Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.