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My ex has been given until Friday to reply for my mediation request until the mediator signs the papers needed for court.
Can any one talk me through the court process step by step please. I need to self represent to keep costs down so any advice on that matter I will be gratefull for.
Mid to end of Jan is the last time I saw my 2 boys and she stopped me over money matters (not csa as that's always been paid).
Will she have to give a reason as to why she stopped contact.
What do I even say in court? Anyone know the price of each step?
steve1984, thats a [censored] of a lot to guide someone through, if you look at all the stickies in the legal eagle section then you will see that each and every part is there and if you have any questions regarding each section then do ask again.
Hi There,
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As said it's a lot of info to give, but in brief......
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You send off the forms to court, from memory, you send 3 copies, the court then returns 2, one for you and one to either post (send recoreded delivery) or hand to your ex, I can't remember if your given a date for the first hearing when they return the forms or whether they wait to hear from your ex, I think you get your court date with the forms though.
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The first hearing is generally just fact finding, the judge will ask what the situation is and check what steps you have taken to resolve the situation yourself, you will both get chance to speak and give your side. When applying to the court I would ask in the papers for an interim order to be made at the first hearing, this is important as if you haven't asked for it, not all judges will consider it on the day, so best to cover that in the submision of the court forms when you apply.
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you will possibly have contact from Caffcas before and possibly on the day you attend court, they will ask you again what issues you have, if you have any concerns over your childs safety and again you will get chance to cover anything you feel is relevent, they wil also speak to your ex.
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From her is where it all opens up, you will get another date from court sent out with all the info from your first hearing, there may be things the judge asks you to do before the next time you attend court, but what happens past here will be different for each case.
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As said we can answer any questions you have so just ask away.
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GTTS
The mediator will give you the C100 form with the section about mediation filled in, the rest of the form is fairly straightforward but if you have difficulty or would like me to read through it before you submit it, just send me a PM and I'll help out.
You will need to submit the original form plus 3 copies and there is a court fee of £215 to make the application. If you are on benefits or a low income, you may be entitled to a part or full exemption from this charge, to apply you will need to submit form EX160a with your other form.
The court will keep the originals and return copies to you and your ex with information about the first hearing. There's usually a wait of 4 - 6 weeks from submission to the first hearing, but that's a rough estimate, it depends how busy the court is.
It would be helpful for the court if you prepared a short Position Statement, 1-2 pages with some background and what you would like to happen. There are templates for this and we can send you a link when you're ready .
It's best just to take each step at a time, as has been said its a lot to take in, study the information in the stickys and ask about anything you're not sure about and we will advise and support you as much as we can.
Hi there,
If you're intending to self rep, there's a really good book called The Family Court Without a Lawyer by barrister Lucy Reed. It's well worth £17 and will really help you. There are a series of videos by Lucy as well, I think these are in our stickies section.
http://www.nofamilylawyer.co.uk/
It might also be worth attending a Families Need Fathers meeting in your area, you can meet other parents self repping and get guidance and support.
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