Perhaps the two biggest questions you should ask yourself are: What conclusion do I want the court to draw from the evidence? and What evidence do they need to do it? Here's an expanded list of some issues that you'll need to answer as you begin to prepare your case:
· What happened?
· How did it happen?
· When did it happen? (The perpetual calender will help with the day of the week.)
· Why did it happen, i.e., now that I know what happened, what happened before this to make this happen?
· Where did it happen?
· What else would necessarily or probably happen after this happened?
· Who did what? To whom or what was it done?
· What do I need to prove?
· How do I use the evidence to prove what I need to prove?
· How do I get the evidence I want in front of the court?
· How do I persuade the court that the evidence proves what I want it to prove?
· What evidence will my opponent present to the court?
· What will my opponent argue based on the evidence?
· How do I counter my opponent's arguments?
· How do I convince the court to rule in my favor?
