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Advice needed .
This will be hopefully last court hearing . I'm currently trying to get granted more time of my kids. After sacking two lawyers for under performing / legal costs far too high. j thought I'd represent myself. I have a current court order of every 2nd weekend which doesn't work for me I work 4 on 4 off rolling rota so basically I work month of weekends and a month off. On the month on weekends I'm expected to find childcare for 12hour shift which isn't practical. I am proposing I get them 3 days out of my 4 off and my ex partner says "that's too much" has anyone any tips or anything I can do to get this changed this hearing as I'll be representing myself... Please help....
Hi
You would need to give a little more information.
Is this listed as a final contested hearing? Do you have magistrates or a District Judge?
If it's a contested hearing, you should prepare a closing submission to read out (like a final plea) and potentially some cross examine questions to ask the other party.
If it's a DRA, it will depend on the court whether they deal with it that day or schedule a contested hearing.
Basically if the court can't get you to agree then you have to let the court decide and you would need to convince them that what you're asking is in the children's best interests.
For the record, I don't think it sounds too much
....I agree with Yoda, it sounds reasonable enough. I can recall that we've had members that were successful in having a schedule of contact that worked around their shift pattern. The best way to tackle it would be if you could provide a work rota a few months in advance, making your suggestions based around that.
Where there's a long distance between a non resident parent and his child, which results in less regular contact, the court will often award a bigger share of the school holidays to compensate, I don't see your situation as much different. Work/life balance is important and so is being able to provide financially for your children.
It might be helpful to prepare a brief two page position statement, explaining the situation, your work commitments and your proposals for how you would like contact to work around it.
All the best
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