The Family Court without a Lawyer
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  • Home
  • FAQs
    • Who is this book for?
    • Is it an alternative to a lawyer?
    • Why do we need a book about courts - isn't it better to try and avoid it?
    • What exactly does it cover?
    • I’m a lawyer – aren’t you doing us out of a job?
  • Resources
    • Going to Court Videos
    • Useful documents
      • Other tools & Resources
    • Legal research sources
    • Advice & support organisations
    • Government Departments & Agencies
    • Professional Bodies & Regulators
  • Reviews
  • The author
  • News & Updates
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Contents

PART 1 : UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM 

1. Getting The Most Out Of This Book 
1.1 Introduction 
1.2 How this book is put together 

2. Family Breakdown - Do we have to sort things out through the court?
2.1 So much to think about and sort out! 
2.2 Sorting out finances and benefits 
2.3 Domestic violence or abuse
2.4 Will I need to go to court?

3. The Family Court 
3.1 Types of courts  
3.2 CAFCASS 

4. Lawyers, Legal advice, Representation & Support 
4.1 Introduction 
4.2 Solicitors 
4.3 Barristers 
4.4 Public access barristers 
4.5 Legal Executives 
4.6 Regulation & complaints  
4.7 Finding a lawyer 
4.8 Choosing a lawyer 
4.9 Paying for a lawyer 
4.10 Cases where you really ought to get legal advice 
4.11 Can I get legal aid? How do I go about it?
4.12 Domestic violence injunctions 
4.13 Cases about children or money
4.14 Domestic abuse
4.14 Types of evidence
4.15 Child Protection 
4.16 Paying for help from non-lawyers 
4.17 Types of evidence
4.18 What if allegations are made against me?
4.19 Child abduction
4.20 Exceptional legal aid
4.21 Paying court fees
4.22 Free legal advice - Law Centres
4.23 Free generalist advice
4.24 Free legal advice - pro bono
4.25 Helplines
4.26 Non-legal support and assistance - McKenzie friends
4.27 Paying for help from non-lawyers
4.28 Mediation providers

5. Law 
5.1 Introduction 
5.2 Inherent Jurisdiction 
5.3 Relevant Statutes 
5.4 Summary of the Acts 
5.5 Court Rules 

6. Reality check - your case in context 
6.1 Introduction 
6.2 Family Procedure Rules 
6.3 Popular myths 
6.4 Common law man and wife 
6.5 Millionaire divorcees  
6.6 The ostrich approach 
6.7 Earning or paying for a right to contact 
6.8 Right to contact with children 
6.9 Innocent until proven guilty – interim protection 
6.10 Prosecution for perjury or suing for defamation 

PART 2:  PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE 

7. What to expect at court 
7.1 Introduction 
7.2 Preparing yourself 
7.3 Court building 
7.4 Before the hearing 
7.5 The court room 
7.6 The hearing itself 
7.7 When might the Judge hear evidence? 

8. General procedure 
8.1 Introduction 
8.2 The overriding objective 
8.3 Before making an application - considering mediation 
8.4 Making an application 
8.5 Swearing documents 
8.6 Service of application 
8.7 If the Court thinks the application or response is hopeless 
8.8 Serving and receiving documents during the case 
8.9 Communicating with the other party 
8.10 Applications – Part 18 & Part 19 
8.11 What if one of the parties doesn't do something they should have? 
8.12 What if one of the parties wasn't at court for a hearing when the order was made? 
8.13 Witness statements and evidence 
8.14 Bundles
8.15 Experts

9. Evidence 
9.1 Introduction 
9.2 Written and oral evidence 
9.3 Audio or video recordings 
9.4 Text messages and voicemail 
9.5 Facebook 
9.6 Reports 
9.7 Lie detectors 
9.8 News articles (print or internet) 
9.9 Letters and children's evidence 
9.10 Challenging evidence 
9.11 Do I have to answer that? Self-incrimination

10. Managing and running your case 
10.1 Legal Research 
10.2 Resources 
10.3 Managing your paperwork 
10.4 Preparing for a hearing where the court is going to hear evidence 
10.5 Cross examination 
10.6 Cross-examining professional witnesses 
10.7 Your own evidence 
10.8 Submissions 

11. Privacy and the media in family cases 
11.1 Introduction 
11.2 Who can come into court? 
11.3 Who can see the papers? 
11.4 Who can be told what is in the papers or what evidence has been given? 
11.5 What counts as "publishing"? 
11.6 What happens if someone publishes or discloses information that they shouldn't have?
11.7 Will the court make exceptions about what information can be published or passed on? 

PART 3: DIVORCE, SEPARATION & FINANCES 

12. The law on ending a marriage or civil partnership & financial matters 
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Divorce  
12.3 Civil Partnership 
12.4 A word about terminology 
12.5 Financial Remedies and Financial Orders (Ancillary Relief) 
12.6 Orders the Court can't make 
12.7 How the Court makes decisions 

13. Getting divorced or dissolving your civil partnership 
13.1 Introduction 
13.2 Making an application to the Court 
13.3 Grounds 
13.4 Unreasonable behaviour 
13.5 Responding to an application 
13.6 Next steps 
13.7 Undefended applications 
13.8 Defended applications 
13.9 Statement of Arrangements for children 
13.10 Final Matrimonial Orders
13.11 Reasons to rush 
13.12 Reasons to delay 
13.13 Can I change back to my maiden name? 

14. Finances for divorcing couples or civil partners 
14.1 Introduction 
14.2 Sorting out the finances by agreement 
14.3 Starting financial proceedings 
14.4 Before the First Directions Appointment 
14.5 Disclosure and Form E 
14.6 Questionnaires 
14.7 Other useful information 
14.8 At the First Directions Appointment (FDA) 
14.9 Financial Dispute Resolution Hearing (FDR) 
14.10 Trial 
14.11 Equality - why can't I just have half? 
14.12 A word about splitting the contents of your home 
14.13 Dealing with non-disclosure 
14.14 Private detective? 
14.15 Common practical solutions 
14.16 We had an agreement - now my ex doesn't want to stick to it 

15. Finances for separating cohabitees 
15.1 Introduction 
15.2 Tenants 
15.3 Owner occupiers 
15.4  Disputes about ownership of property - ToLATA 
15.5 Both names on the property 
15.6 Written agreement 
15.7 Name not on title and no written agreement 
15.8 Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 
15.9 Splitting the possessions 

PART 4: CHILDREN 

16. The law relating to children 
16.1 Introduction 
16.2 The structure of the Children Act 1989 
16.3 Orders under the Children Act 
16.4 Other relevant parts of the Children Act 
16.5 The law on taking children abroad or away from their home 

17. Cases relating to children 
17.1 Private law Orders 
17.2 Basic procedure 
17.3 Other things you need to know about court procedure 
17.4 Parental Responsibility 
17.5 Some important legal points about Parental Responsibility 
17.6 Parental Responsibility for same sex partners, step parents or other people who children may live with 
17.7 Specific Issue Orders and Prohibited Steps Orders  
17.8 Residence and Contact Orders 
17.9 How cases about contact and residence progress 
17.10  Allegations of domestic violence 
17.11 Welfare stage 
17.12 What happens if there are admissions or findings? 
17.13 Contact  
17.14 Residence 
17.15 Shared residence 
17.16 The involvement of professionals – CAFCASS & welfare reports 
17.17 Other experts and assessments 
17.18 Childrens' Guardians 
17.19 Family Assistance Order 
17.20 How the welfare checklist works in practice  
17.21 Contact activities 
17.22 Other applications 

18. Moving or going abroad with children & child abduction 
18.1 Moving around the country 
18.2 Children taken or moved to unknown addresses 
18.3 Child abduction 
18.4 Removal from the jurisdiction - temporary 
18.5 Thinking about agreeing to your children going abroad  
18.6 Removal from the jurisdiction – permanent 

19. When things go wrong - Enforcing & changing contact orders 
19.1 Introduction 
19.2 Variation applications 
19.3 Enforcement generally 
19.4 Undertakings 
19.5 Criminal standard 
19.6 Enforcement Orders 
19.7 Committal for breach of Contact or Enforcement Order 
19.8 Residence  

20. Children cases for non-Parents 
20.1 Introduction 
20.2 Care proceedings 
20.3 Contact 
20.4 Residence Orders 
20.5 Special Guardianship 
20.6 Fostering 
20.7 Intervenors – non-accidental injury 

PART 5: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE & ABUSE 

21. The law relating to domestic violence & abuse 
21.1 Introduction 
21.2 Non-Molestation Orders 
21.3 Breach of Non-Molestation Orders 
21.4 Undertakings 
21.5 Occupation Orders 
21.6 Breach of Occupation Orders 
21.7 Other powers under the Family Law Act 1996 

22. Cases involving domestic violence & abuse 
22.1 Introduction 
22.2 Non-Molestation and Occupation Orders 
22.3 Making an application for a Non-Molestation or Occupation Order 
22.4 What happens if an order is broken? 
22.5 Undertakings 
22.6 Pros and cons of undertakings 
22.7 Directions the Court will often make   
22.8 Fact finding in children proceedings 

PART 6: AFTER JUDGMENT 

23. Enforcement 
23.1 Introduction 
23.2 Court orders 
23.3 Committal applications (including fine) 
23.4 Committal on arrest 
23.5 Judgment Summons 
23.6 Civil debt remedies 
23.7 Liberty to apply 
23.8 Bankruptcy 

24. Costs 
24.1 Introduction 
24.2 Costs orders 
24.3 Other types of costs orders 
24.4 Enforcing costs orders 

25. Challenging decisions 
25.1 Introduction 
25.2 Getting a new Judge 
25.3 Appeals 
25.4 Rules for appeals 
25.5 Permission 
25.6 Where to appeal 
25.7 Set aside  
25.8 Second appeals 
25.9 Complaints against professionals 

26. Postscript – Proposed Reforms and Changes 

PART 7: TOOLKIT & RESOURCES 
  • Key To Abbreviations & Symbols 
  • Jargon Buster 
  • Internet Resources 
  • Table Of Cases 

Forms, Templates & Useful Documents 
  • Court Forms
  • Templates and checklists
  • Witness Statement
  • Suggestions for Children Act statements
  • Suggestions for statements about removal from the jurisdiction
  • Suggestions for witness statements in domestic violence cases
  • Suggestions for Occupation Order / Transfer of  tenancy cases
  • Witness Statement Template
  • Exhibit Cover Sheet
  • Common phrases used in Children Act orders
  • Scott Schedule
  • Chronology for use in financial proceedings
  • Schedule of assets template for use in financial proceedings
  • Statement of Issues template for use in financial proceedings
  • Common phrases used in Financial Orders
  • Common wording for Non-Molestation Orders and undertakings

Key law & Guidance 
  • Family Procedure Rules
  • Children Act 1989
  • Matrimonial Causes Act 1973
  • Family Law Act 1996 
  • Family Law Act 1986
  • Practice Guidance: McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts)
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  • Home
  • FAQs
    • Who is this book for?
    • Is it an alternative to a lawyer?
    • Why do we need a book about courts - isn't it better to try and avoid it?
    • What exactly does it cover?
    • I’m a lawyer – aren’t you doing us out of a job?
  • Resources
    • Going to Court Videos
    • Useful documents
      • Other tools & Resources
    • Legal research sources
    • Advice & support organisations
    • Government Departments & Agencies
    • Professional Bodies & Regulators
  • Reviews
  • The author
  • News & Updates