What do I call the sheriff in court?

You call the sheriff  “My Lady” or “My Lord”.  The other thing that you have to do in court is to stand up when the sheriff enters at the start and also when he or she leaves the end of the hearing.  A court official will say “Court Rise” when this is due to happen.  In theory you should stand up when saying things to the court, but in many child welfare hearings the sheriff will indicate that this does not need to happen.  Don’t worry too much if you don’t always manage to do these things, as long as you can show that you are taking the court seriously and showing respect.  Remember also that the sheriff can see your facial expressions very clearly, so don’t react with grimaces or shaking your head when things are said that you don’t agree with.  (Most family cases are heard in the Sheriff Court, but the same applies to Court of Session hearings.)