How Should I Dress For Court?

If you are required to attend court your appearance should be neat and smart. It is not necessary to wear a suit but your clothes should be more conservative than casual. The court may deny you access if you are dressed inappropriately such as, wearing ripped clothes or thongs. At Stanley & Co. Lawyers we have over 26 years of experience and understand that first impressions count. Your presentation communicates your respect for the court and its rules and your attitude to the seriousness of the matter.

Judges expect a conservative style of dress for both males and females which can be seen below. If you depart from the expectations of the Judge, it may lead them to judge you negatively.

For Males…

• The shirt should have long sleeves, buttoned up and a collar and preferably tucked into your trousers, a t-shirt is not appropriate wear.
• The shirt should look neutral and not be eye-catching with random colours. With a dress shirt, it would be great to wear a tie which should be one solid colour to match what you are wearing.
• Avoid any ties with pictures or lots of wording on it.
• Avoid trousers that are baggy, shorts or anything that is torn as it can make the wrong impression.

For females…

• The dress/skirt should ideally fall at least two inches below the knee.
• Trousers should be full length.
• Females can wear shoes with or without a heel, if they decide to wear shoes with a heel it must not be too long in length. Closed shoes are preferable.
• Avoid any sneakers or other types of shoes that do not seem appropriate for Court.
• Avoid messy looking hair. Instead, your aim is to keep your hair out of your face and of a style that is neat.
• If you do wear makeup, the saying ‘Less is More’ should apply.

Tattoos and Piercings

• You must take out any rings or studs that have been implanted on your face. If you can’t remove particular earrings it would be best to try and cover it with your hair or a Band-Aid.
• Tattoos can be covered up with clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts which will cover arm tattoos, and long trousers which cover leg tattoos.
• If there is a tattoo that is visible on your neck or face it would be best to try and cover it up with makeup or something that will mask the tattoo from clear visibility.

Hats & Sunglasses

• Do not wear a hat when attending court, it is a sign of disrespect.
• If for some religious reason and you wear a headscarf, turban, kippah or headgear it should be deemed acceptable.
• Do not wear sunglasses on your head.

Mobile Phones

• Do not bring any device into the courtroom that will either make a beeping or ringing sound.
• If you do for some reason end up having a device that does this, switch it off and do not touch it until you leave Court.

If you are in need of any assistance with regard to dressing appropriately for Court, please contact us on 08 7001 6135 to seek advice from our experienced Adelaide lawyers.