[Solved] First hearing tips ???

You need to be open with cafcass, rather than keeping anything back as the court will pay heed to the cafcass report. Don't bad-mouth your ex, but you can raise concerns you may have. Otherwise, be cooperative and friendly - you want them on your side as much as possible.

You may have to talk to CAFCASS before the hearing, if they are asked to prepare a schedule 2 letter, which is a basic safeguarding report which often makes recommendations to the court. It's usual that this will be the case.

The CAFCASS interview will be over the phone. Just try and keep calm and reasonable, best not to get emotional, they want to see that you're in control and understand that your child is the priority.

Tell them about how good your relationship was with your child and what you hope to achieve.

Tell them about the courses you've completed and how they've helped you understand your situation and that of your child's. That you'd like to put the past behind you and hope that this will be possible, as it's in your child's best interests that you both work together for the child's benefit, perhaps say that you accept that might take time, but you will do all you can to make that possible.

As actd says, if you have concerns, you can voice them, as long as you do it from a position of concern for your child.... for example instead of saying, "the mother stopped me seeing my child", you can say "since contact between our child and I was stopped"

At the first hearing, it will be a matter of setting the direction of the case, ordering reports etc and finding out if any agreement can be reached.

Best of luck

As Mojo has said, you should get a phone call from Cafcass. They usually write to inform you of the time they will call. They will also speak to the mother & run PNC & SS checks on you both. Usually they will use this information to provide the court with the safeguarding letter and also be present to speak with you both separately at the first hearing (called a FHDRA). Normally they will go in to the hearing with you and confirm their recommendations to the court. If you have magistrates, they tend to go with what Cafcass recommend. District Judges tend to be more balanced.

Thing is im going back to court after making a stupid choice to end application .but the judge said on last letter my application cant move forward until ive completed the recommended work and the judge has said my case has to go back to the same judge so, i dunno because irs not even been five months and im just about to send new application in to court .saying ive done the work .i dunno if cafcass will be involced or weather it will start as a proper fresh application or weather it will kind of carry on .ive done some courses to about parenting off my own back but im just kind of wanting to kind of know if it will be a fresh start or carry on from last application esp if the same judge has asked for it .