Frequently Asked Questions

220 State Street

Muskogee, OK 74401 

Judge Bret Smith

Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled hearing time.

You should come to court clean, sober and dressed in appropriate clothes for court. Clothing that has offensive sayings, logos or drug references should be avoided. (A good rule of thumb is to dress how you would for a job interview or an important meeting.) Do not wear a hat or sunglasses to court. 

Yes! It is not only important, but it is your responsibility.  Email your attorney prior to court with updates, your progress, photos of certificates or letters, new contact information, current visitation schedule and any questions or concerns. Your attorney needs this information from you to properly prepare for court.  Your attorney will be busy during court handling other cases and will most likely not be available to speak with you during court. 

Yes. If you fail to attend a court hearing your parental rights could be terminated.  If you have an emergency and you have to miss court notify your DHS worker and your attorney before court.  If you have to miss court because you are in the hospital or a treatment facility you will need to send proof to your DHS worker and attorney. 

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Yes.  You need to notify your DHS worker and attorney with your current contact information.  

You also need to notify the court clerk's office (located on the 2nd floor) of your address and other contact information. 

*If you fail to inform the court clerk of your mailing address you may miss important letters regarding your case and court dates. 

You should keep a folder for all of your deprived case information and bring your folder to every court date.  You should keep certificates of completion, a record of your visitation dates, notes about your case, letters from providers, proof of NA/AA meetings, paystubs/proof of employment and any other documentation that may be relevant to your case. Bring a pen & paper to court, take notes about what you need to do & write down your next court date.  

DO NOT BRING CHILDREN TO COURT. TURN OFF CELL PHONES IN COURT.

It is very important for the documents and photos you send to your attorney to be high quality and easy to read. There are several FREE apps for smartphones that allow you to take a photo of a document or picture and it turns it into a high quality PDF that you can then email your attorney.  One of our favorites is the free "adobe scan app"

If you don't have access to a smart phone many libraries and copy stores have scanners you can use for a fee. 

Deprived cases are confidential hearings, only parties to the case can attend the hearings. You will not be allowed to bring family or friends inside the courtroom unless they have intervened into the case or are the foster placement. 

If your application is approved the assigned attorney will contact you via the email or phone number you provided on your application.