My Family Court Roadmap
Children and Family Court Proceedings
You don't have to face this alone
Protect Your Relationship With Your Children. Understand the Process. Know What To Do Next
My Family Court Roadmap
You don't have to face this alone
Protect Your Relationship With Your Children. Understand the Process. Know What To Do Next
Your Court application matters. Make sure it is properly prepared.
Six options. Pick the one that matches your situation. If you are not sure, book a short call and we will choose it together.
Use this if you are trying to reach an agreement but keep hitting obstacles
Use this when you have agreed how to share your time with the children and want to make it legally binding.
Pick from the list, or book a short call if you are not sure which one you need.
Plain-English drafting, in the form the court expects, based on what you have agreed.
You stay in charge. I guide you through court approval where the document needs it.
"Simon prepared all of my court documents to an exceptionally high standard, attended every hearing with me, and provided invaluable guidance and reassurance during what was an incredibly difficult and emotional time."
McKenzie Friend client
"Looking back over the last four years, finding Simon was one of the best decisions I made during an incredibly difficult period of my life."
Family Court client
"From the moment I started working with him, I found him to be extremely helpful, knowledgeable and, importantly, genuinely focused on helping me rather than simply making money."
Long-term client, 2022–2026
A 30-minute call to match your situation to the right help.
If you are unsure about any aspect of your case and want to discuss your situation with me,
then use this service to book a 30 minute call.
71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
07900 414121
Copyright © 2026 all rights reserved.
When a relationship breaks down, arrangements for children can become one of the most difficult and upsetting issues to resolve.
You may be worried about where your children will live, how often you will see them, whether your former partner is preventing contact or what will happen if you cannot agree.
You may also find yourself involved in court proceedings without fully understanding the process, the documents you need to prepare or what the judge will expect from you.
A handshake, conversation or informal agreement will not give you the certainty you expect.
Choose which stage you need help with and we can prepare your case in a clear, professional format, without unnecessary jargon and without paying for work you don't need.
Before making an application to the Family Court, it is important to understand your financial position, what you may be entitled to and what steps you should take.
You may be trying to reach an agreement with your former partner, or you may have reached the point where court proceedings are necessary.
Choose what you need
If Court can be avoided, it is worth making the effort to do so. Trying to reach an agreement is a tricky situation, particularly when emotions may be running high, and expectations are not reasonable. Working together to find common ground needs to be approached carefully.
If you are lucky and have been able to reach an agreement about the children, that is only half the story. Without a Child Arrangements Consent Order approved by the court, there is no guarantee that the agreement will be followed. Having the agreement made into a Court Order records the settlement and makes it binding, so you have some confidence that the agreement will last, and if all else fails the agreement should be a starting point in any future Court application
The First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment (FHDRA) is usually the first hearing in private children proceedings. The court will want to understand the issues between the parents, consider any safeguarding concerns and explore whether an agreement can be reached.
Cafcass will usually have completed initial safeguarding checks and provided information to the court.
This is an important opportunity to explain your concerns, identify the problems and help the court decide what needs to happen next.
Use this to ensure you understand the issues, identify the information still required and are properly prepared for the First Hearing.
This Hearing, sometimes referred to as a Dispute Resolution Hearing (DRH), is an opportunity to review the evidence, consider any Cafcass or Section 7 report and explore whether the parents can reach an agreement.
The court will want to identify the remaining areas of disagreement and determine whether the case can be resolved without a Final Hearing.
This is an important stage because decisions made about your children can have a lasting effect on family life.
Use this to help you understand the evidence, consider realistic arrangements and work towards a resolution that is in your children's best interests.
A Final Hearing is where the court hears the evidence and makes a decision about the arrangements for your children.
This can be an intimidating experience, particularly if you are representing yourself or have little experience of court proceedings.
You may need to give evidence, answer questions from the other parent or their representative, challenge evidence and explain why the arrangements you are proposing are in your children's best interests.
Preparation is essential.
Use this to help you present your case clearly, understand the issues and approach the Final Hearing as confidently and effectively as possible
Allegations of domestic abuse, violence, controlling behaviour, harassment or other misconduct can have a serious impact on children proceedings.
Sometimes allegations are disputed and need to be examined by the court before it can decide what arrangements are safe and appropriate for the children.
A fact-finding hearing may be necessary to determine whether particular allegations are proved. This can add considerable time and complexity to proceedings.
If you are facing allegations you believe to be false, it is important to understand how to respond and how to prepare your evidence.
Use this to help you understand the allegations, prepare a clear and properly evidenced response and navigate the fact-finding process.
You are not handing the whole case to a solicitor and paying for every minute of their time. You choose the help you need, I show you whats required or failing all else, I prepare it for you, and you then decide what happens next.
Testimonials
After representing myself through my own case, I spent over twenty-five years in the Family Courts helping people with divorce, financial orders, child arrangements, and the documents that make agreements stick. I qualified as a Barrister in 2010.
I am not here to scare you into a retainer. If you need a document, I will prepare that document. If you need the whole process explained first, I will send you there instead.