May 12 - Have your day in court

May 12 – Have your day in court. Never researched in a courthouse before? See the May 2005 Trace Your Family History, a special issue of Family Tree Magazine, for advice from a first-timer.

My Advice:  Go online and see what hours they are open. Plan on arriving in the morning, they seem to be less busy. Verify the hours if any they might be closed during lunch. Have all your information with you, so you know who to research.  Most courthouses have security, so plan on removing your coat and running your bags through the scanners. Be humble, I found that the clerks are friendlier when you are friendly and ask for help instead of being a know-it-all. Remember to say thank you and please and don’t bore the clerks with your family history stories. We might be excited, but they have real work to do and don’t have time to listen to your stories.