Disputes over contact make up the majority of cases brought before the family court. If your reading this post then there’s a chance that your case is a clash over contact too. The number of cases that result in an order of no contact for the non-resident parent is small. So small that it’s almost […]
Personal Support Unit – Who, What, Where and Why?
Finding free support when you’re representing yourself at family court is hard if you don’t know where to look. McKenzie Friend – giving a helping hand or just a bad plan? explores one avenue of help available to litigants and this post will explore another. Personal Support Unit Who are they? Personal Support Unit is a […]
McKenzie Friend – giving a helping hand or just a bad plan?
A McKenzie Friend is a voluntary helper that attends court with a litigant in heels. Their role is to assist you in the representation of your case. They offer moral support and their personal opinions and knowledge. At hearings they cannot talk to the court, but can take notes and quietly advise you on questions […]
Syd Field’s help to write your statement for family court.
My interests as a writer lay with script-writing. For my degree, I’m writing an essay on Syd Field’s book, The Foundation of Screenwriting – a bible for anyone writing scripts! Re-reading the book got me thinking about how Syd’s advice, inadvertently, helped me to write my own statement for family court. This post depends largely […]
Parental Alienation – A Warning for Mothers
If you’ve had a hostile break-up then you’ll know how hard it is to control your emotions. Anger, hurt, resentment, fear, betrayal are but a few of the feelings that come in waves threatening to drown you. In these situations it can be easy to alienate your child against their other parent without realising it: […]
3 Things to Remember when dealing with your ex’s Solicitor
I used to think that my ex’s solicitor was a heartless cow. Her constant letters annoyed and upset me because I didn’t feel qualified to produce a proper response. To me, solicitors hold that air of authority because they know the law and understand how to use it. I felt powerless to her and her […]
Coping with Christmas Contact in 3 Easy Steps
Maybe it was your Christmas last year and this year the kids are with your ex. Maybe the kids will wake up with you and then go with their dad until boxing day. Whatever your specific arrangements coping with agreed contact over Christmas can be difficult. You are not alone. Take comfort in knowing that […]
5 Steps to Statement Success – Writing your Statement for Family Court
Family court is especially stressful for a mother who has to balance her emotions with caring for her children. Speaking coherently and convincingly during this time is going to be difficult for even the strongest among us. When your voice fails, writing is the easiest way to articulate your argument. Writing also provides a direct line […]
3 Quotes to Inspire the Proper Conduct of Mothers at Family Court
Persuading with Proof makes a Convincing Case
One of the main differences between family and criminal proceedings is the way that decisions are made. For criminal court, everything relies on evidence and cases have been lost due to lack of it. At family court, the magistrates are convinced on the ‘likelihood’ of one case being truer than the other. This means that […]