I want to wear something that shows my respect for the judge and the situation. Seems like I might need to buy an outfit. I have a black pencil skirt and some stylish black shoes. Would a conservative blouse added to this be appropriate? Do I need a suit? Please help me! 
I’m just hoping I can hold it all together and a strong wardrobe choice can’t hurt!
You don’t need to run out and buy a suit. Anything that could be considered “business casual,” is fine. Nothing provacative, nothing sloppy. I always tell my clients to wear church clothes. And wear comfortable shoes! You may have to do some standing.
You’ll be surprised by what you see other people wearing in the courtroom. As long as your clothes are clean and are the right size, you’ll be miles ahead a lot of people around you.
I’ve been to court once so far for my divorce, and I wore a purple dress and high heels. Of course, that’s what I was wearing to work that day anyway, so it wasn’t much of a stretch for me. One thing I did notice in the courtroom was that it was colder than I expected, so I froze (which isn’t normal for me). You might consider bringing along a light sweater, just in case.
Otherwise, I think you’re on the right track with a skirt, dress shirt and heels.
And here’s some free advice for you: don’t slam the table and yell that the other person is full of shit. The guy who was in the hearing before mine did that and the Judge no-likey.
No hats, no shorts, no tank tops, no t-shirts with writing on them. Business casual will do just fine.
Unless, of course, you wish to make a political statement, in which case a jacket with “Fuck the Draft” may be in order…Wiki link
I’m not your lawyer, but I think the advice you’ve gotten so far is good. “Church clothes” is a good standard - personally, I’d go a bit further and dress as if you were going to a job interview, but only if you’ve already got the garb for it.
The best option, of course, would be to ask your own lawyer if you have one.
Red leather chaps and a bustier.
A friend wanted me to be his witness for his divorce, as I was the only attorney he knew. I was gob-smacked to see what other people were wearing in court that day. I turned up at his house in a suit, and refused to leave with him in a polo shirt and khakis. I made him put a collar and tie on at least, along with a sports coat.
You won’t be out of place with business casual, but I think you should go a notch up from that (or maybe my business casual is pretty law)… I wouldn’t buy a suit, but a skirt, blouse and jacket would be appropriate.
Yeah, if you’d feel comfortable wearing it to an average run-of-the-mill office, it should be either fine, or more than fine. Find something else to worry about.
A t-shirt that says “I’m no longer with stupid”
Watch “Judge Judy,” and do the opposite of all her defendants and plaintiffs.
I’ve seen a number of people wearing jeans to family law appearances. I’m going to sidestep a bit and say that, regardless of what you can get away with, maybe you should dress up to the point that you’ll feel more confident about what you need to do in court that day. If wearing a suit or something else that is more formal for you is going to give you additional confidence and make you feel like you’re representing yourself as well as you possibly can in that setting, then that’s going to be worthwhile to you.
In terms of what is necessary, however, I’ll agree with the business casual consensus.
The only times I’ve ever been in a family court there were people wearing jeans, shorts, flip flops – the kind of thing I might wear to clean house in! I think you’re probably safe with the skirt, blouse, and heels. I’d check with your lawyer, just to be safe.
Proper business attire with a button down white shirt that can be popped open at the end to slightly reveal a lurking sexiness while you saunter out, throw your bag over your shoulder and say “see ya, suckers!”
I was down at the courthouse this morning. (I saw quite a few people in casual jumpsuits, with a sort of chain link belt and matching bracelets, eye-catchingly displayed held together at about naval height. :p) Actually, business casual indeed seemed prevalent among both the workers and the clientele. I was impressed, I haven’t seen that level of dressed up people in eons. (Though some of the younger people I was waiting with out in the hall were wearing hoodies, those hoodies cost more than my entire ensemble put together, including shoes and purse.)
The statement about dressing for a job interview is the best advice given.
Business casual at the very least.
Trust me, I’m worrying about quite a bit more than this; just choosing to focus on something I can actually control. Thanks.
I know you are probably anxious to move on with your life but it isn’t that kind of “date”. The judge at mine wasn’t even remotely hot.
I wore a suit and tie to my divorce hearings. It may have been overkill, as I had people in the hallway propositioning me for legal advice. 
Then again, I’ve even gone to court for traffic tickets wearing a suit and tie. You’d be amazed what people wear to court. Ripped jeans. Wife-beaters. Stained T-shirts that say I KILL ME and have ALF on the front. Coked out stripper-whores still in their outfits from last night’s clubbing outing. It’s like the peopleofwalmart.com got arrested and now have to see Harold T. Stone.
And that’s the jury pool.
I say split the difference. Wear a suit over a tshirt that says “I’m No Longer With Stupid -->”.