Child arrangements, custody, divorce, the family court, CAFCASS, and relocation. Plain-English guides written by a solicitor for parents and families representing themselves.
For when you need to act today, not next week. Step-by-step instructions for the most urgent situations.
Your ex has applied to the family court. You have a date and no idea what to expect. This pack tells you exactly what happens at the first hearing, what CAFCASS will ask, and what your position statement must say.
From the C100 application through the FHDRA, CAFCASS safeguarding call, section 7 report, and final hearing. Every stage explained with the words to use and the mistakes to avoid.
Child arrangements orders, parental responsibility, contact, shared custody, and enforcement.
The word custody has not existed in English family law for over 35 years. Here is what replaced it and how courts decide.
Fathers have the same legal standing as mothers. The reality is more nuanced.
From mediation and the C100 through to the CAFCASS call and the final order.
The C79 application and what the court can order.
Parental responsibility determines who can make decisions about a child.
Every family court decision is made by applying the welfare checklist.
CAFCASS, the FHDRA, witness statements, position statements, fact-finding hearings, and how to represent yourself.
The C100 is your first communication with the family court.
The FHDRA is the first court hearing in child proceedings.
The officer has already spoken to the other parent.
One of the most important documents in early family proceedings.
Your witness statement is the most important document you will produce.
What it should contain and how to structure it.
Determines disputed facts -- usually allegations of domestic abuse.
Often the most important document in a contested child case.
No-fault divorce, financial remedy, pension sharing, spousal maintenance, and consent orders.
From the conditional order to the final order, financial settlement and children.
Pensions, Mesher orders, the clean break, and the maintenance trap.
Pensions are often the most valuable asset in a marriage.
Many divorcing couples think an informal agreement is enough. It is not.
When courts order it, how much, and for how long.
Unmarried couples have far fewer rights than they think.
Permission to move, stopping a move, international child abduction, prohibited steps orders, and the Hague Convention.
What the law requires when a parent wants to move within the UK.
Prevent removal within the UK or internationally.
The Child Abduction Act 1984 and what to do urgently.
The Hague Convention, ICACU, and what to do in the first 24 hours.
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