<human>: I'm posting this on a throwaway (also feel free to use it). 

Just a tid bit that may seem obvious to some but is not to a lot (as I saw today). If you have to go to the court house for anything, dress nicely. Even though it's a shitty situation, wear a smile be polite and courteous. It'll get you a damn long way. 

If you are of a younger maturing age (early twenties) it's still alright to bring a parent a long if they are nice and smiley too (this was in the south, and the magistrate, while pondering his options, asked my mother if I minded her well and with a big smile and a chuckle said around 90% of the time).

Condense the text into a few key points
<bot>: dress nice, smile, be courteous, be prepared these will get you a long way with people who have to constantly deal with people who show up in overly casual wear and an unhappy disposition.