Court Documents
The documents that you may wish to put before the court include statements, skeleton arguments, opening/closing submissions and a Scott Schedule of allegations or responses to allegations. It really is important to ensure they will be well received by the judge and anyone else reading them. Too often parents will damage their case somewhat or even sabotage it completely by filing and serving documents which are counter-productive in content and poorly drafted. We help you get your view over to the court in an appropriate and a capable manner.
For each court hearing it is generally imperative that you provide a succinct professional position statement which will get your view and requirements before the judge efficiently. Our experienced and knowledgeable McKenzie Friends will assist you in drafting a relevant Position Statement that will get your position over to the court in a proficient manner. To produce a Position Statement that conveys the issues and solutions as you see it to the court in a way that is more likely to sway the judge in your favour takes experience and knowledge as well as certain drafting skills. They really are important documents which many times are the difference between success and failure at a hearing.
At certain times your Position Statement should contain references to relevant case law and research which may assist the court to decide in your favour. Our highly experienced McKenzie Friends will assist you in adding authorities that will improve your prospects regarding an issue without detracting from it as can happen when inexperienced parties provide such.
When filing and serving witness statements it is important to make sure they are also relevant and focused on the matters at hand. Drafting statements that put forward your view of past events and the present situation as well as your proposals for the court to consider is not an easy process for many. When there are possibly a host of issues that you may feel are relevant and you believe the court must be made aware of so it can make the right decisions, it is difficult to appreciate that sometimes this may not be the best approach and actually less is more very often. Diluting your strong points by swamping with minor issues can often detract from the effectiveness of your witness statement and even be extremely counter-productive to your case. Our McKenzie Friends will assist you in putting your case forward as sympathetically as possible in the circumstances and by doing so make it more likely that your views are heard and considered as measured and balanced, ultimately assisting your case before the court.
At appeals and sometimes at final hearings a skeleton argument may be necessary to bolster your case. This is a document that sets out the pro's and con's of both parties cases but leads the court hopefully towards deciding in your favour on the issues before it. The skeleton argument will often require references to applicable case law and research which you will need to assist the court with to raise the prospects of you being relatively successful in a case. A good document takes skill and practice to put together which our McKenzie Friends are able to do for you.
At contested hearings where oral evidence is going to be heard by the parties then written opening and closing submissions which go into more detail than a Position Statement may be necessary to raise your chances of success. If necessary our McKenzie Friends will assist you in drafting a written submission which can be put before the court rather than you making an opening submission oral statement, as the written submission can be far more effective in putting your view of the situation and its remedies as you see it across to the court.
Where the court asks for a Scott Schedule regarding a fact finding process whether within a final hearing or a separate fact finding hearing, it is important to be clear and succinct with the allegations and/or responses to allegations. The court will require that specific allegations are addressed individually on both sides, it is important to put forward your allegations or response to any allegations in a way that assists the court in understanding your view on the alleged incident. Again our McKenzie Friends can assist you with this.
Whatever the document our McKenzie Friends will assist you as required in putting together a document that highlights the merits of your position to the court.
Thanks to your excellent witness statements and a really good CAFCASS reports we came away with all the orders applied for.
All in All a very good result!
Your help in this matter was invaluable. 6 months ago I was lost and in despair but thanks to you we can now settle back and get on with Family life again. Hopefully stress free from this point onwards!
I would not hesitate to recommend You to anyone in need of your services.
Very Best Regards
Probably not.
I see my daughter now regularly, go on holidays with her, she plays with her baby sister, sees her grandparents and I am seeing her grow up.
Jeff tells you it as it and not just what you want to hear, unlike so many solicitors I encountered.
He has many helpful tips on how to deal with the whole situation and provides thorough support
I would highly recommend using his services.
Thanks a million again for yesterday, the notes were great and I will be pursuing this transcription of the judgment.
All the very best
Thanks to your excellent witness statements and a really good CAFCASS reports we came away with all the orders applied for. All in All a very good result!
Your help in this matter was invaluable. 6 months ago I was lost and in despair but thanks to you we can now settle back and get on with Family life again. Hopefully stress free from this point onwards!
I would not hesitate to recommend You to anyone in need of your services.
Very Best Regards
Many thanks for your services.
Thank you for the notes but most of all thank you for all of your support and knowledge. I relied on you greatly and I couldn’t of done it without your support.
Thanks Again
When we began in the Family Courts we were paying for legal representation in the form of various Solicitors and Barristers, some progress was made but this took some 2 years to achieve at extortionate costs to us.
We approached Jeff to enquire whether he would be able to assist us in the continuing family matter and Jeff confirmed his terms and conditions to us from the outset, we were very happy with all of the details that Jeff passed over to us and we were pleased to have his support.
Jeff has been a lifesaver. Literally. Jeff's knowledge of the process that we have been going through is comprehensive and moreover, Jeff has a unique insight into our particular circumstances and has, on many occasions, offered us his support and advice on how to deal with matters that surround the Court case. This has proved invaluable and has helped us both cope with the process on many occasions.
Jeff's integrity and honesty are outstanding, he is a man amongst men. Jeff had complete compassion for our situation. Jeff has a keen eye for details and is extremely prompt with his responses - which has helped us cope with some stressful situations.
Our only regret is that we did not know of Jeff's existence when our Court proceedings began - we are completely certain that his involvement from the start would have benefitted the matter a great deal and not to mention, save us a considerable amount of money that we had to pay for legal representation.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Jeff to anyone.
Previous experience had also taught me that attending court is an overwhelming and daunting experience so I was conscious that I needed some form of guidance to see me through to the end. Which is when I found Family Law Decisions and in particular, Jeff Botterill, whom I knew straight away was the person I wanted by my side during the whole process. Jeff is extremely calm and reassuring with a knowledge base that is immediately evident. It also helped to learn that once upon a time he had been in my shoes and could recognise the anguish and anxiety I was feeling.
Jeff Botterill is simply a genius and I’m utterly convinced my life would not be so wonderful now if it were not for him. From the moment he agreed to assist me, I knew I was in great hands and a lot of the tension which inevitably builds up seemed to dissipate there and then. Once we got started, Jeff was great at stripping the emotion away and helping you to focus on what is important and ignoring what is irrelevant, as it is very easy to get caught up in the bitterness and unjust nature of everything. He keeps you thinking straight.
He is also a master at drawing up any court documents that will be required along the way and is exceptional at articulating every point of your defence. I was truly blown away when I saw my initial position statement – It summed up perfectly in 10 or 12 sentences what I had been frustratingly screaming about for years. A work of art.
Long story short, my ex-partner dropped her application completely after the first hearing and I was able to amend the existing contact order we had in place to provide for more time with my daughter at weekends and school holidays. The result is my relationship with my daughter is as good now as it’s ever been and I feel that I have been treated fairly by the courts. This is all thanks to Jeff.
I would recommend Jeff in an instant. He really is a godsend.
There are a couple of amendments to make, rest is perfect and to the point. You have really nailed it Jeff by making it flow so well and to the point. Thank you so much for your immense help and for being there with me all the way. I will send you an email when all is done or I need any other advice.
Until then a massive thanks once again.
All the best.
Kindest regards
PS: I told my sister about you liking the different spicy food. She told me to invite you at some point to try ........... food.
His guidance and support throughout the court hearings was excellent. He put me at ease and gave me the confidence to represent myself. His knowledge of the law and the case history surrounding leave to remove exceeded any that I had heard from the two solicitors that I had used. He is also passionate about the need for both parents in the lives of their children. I would highly recommend Jeff to anyone else looking for a McKenzie friend.
Hope you are well?
Apologies for taking so long to write to you. I’d wanted to get in touch and thank you for your service during court proceedings. It was really comforting to have someone there with me that knew the process, was understanding of my situation and wanted the best for myself and child.
I know that you went above and beyond and ended up doing CAFCASS’ job on the day too so really appreciate everything.
Take care
Going to court is a nerve racking experience in any situation and representing yourself seems like an extremely daunting task, questions like what to prepare? where to stand? what to say? Were just a few of the things I was concerned about but having Jeff with me gave me the knowledge and confidence to successfully represent myself.
I am now enjoying regular and increasing access to my daughter
There are a couple of amendments to make, rest is perfect and to the point. You have really nailed it Jeff by making it flow so well and to the point.
I will get it to court and Cafcass by email latest tomorrow afternoon and I will also send it by post recorded delivery. I advised the other party's solicitors that I will only be ready to exchange on Wednesday, I will do that then.
Thank you so much for you immense help and for being there with me all the way.
On behalf of myself and my family We would like to thank you for all of your assistance yesterday. Your guidance throughout, and the presentation of the documents was first class. Restoring contact with ******* was the best Xmas present we could have hoped for.
We had a get together last night but at the weekend we can have an even better one with our *******.
Thanks again.
I would recommend FLD without hesitation.
I hope I never have to employ you again, but knowing her I probably will!
You stopped me deviating and gave me the focus and reassurance I needed. Your help with the position statement was invaluable and was definitely a key factor in helping me gain the contact I wanted.
Having Jeff’s support has helped due to his: knowledge of legal matters; ability to prepare clear concise statements; and quick thinking in the court room. But its not just these knowledge and skills – he combines a supportive understanding of a very difficult and upsetting situation with a clear headed willingness to tell you when he think such emotions risk making you say or do unhelpful things. Thanks to Jeff’s support I have seen my children for the first time in a couple of years and am awaiting a more permanent contact order to be put in place.
I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done for us. HHJ Bellamy commented that it was a very detailed and extremely helpful skeleton argument, so basically you’re brilliant and I owe you so much.
The last part of HHJ Bellamy’s judgement was a bit of a blur as I was crying with relief. Obviously we need to discuss what happens from here.
Many thanks again.
My application had previously been dismissed and I was losing hope and lacking the motivation to make progress. Jeff's direct and no-nonsense approach was invaluable throughout very complex and difficult proceedings. Even though we did not always agree he was able to see the best way forward and even gain the respect of the Judge. He was always calm, reliable, professional and reassuring when I needed it. I am now seeing my daughter regularly and am grateful to benefit from his experience.
Thanks,
I met Jeff at my local FNF meeting. I was immediately struck not only by Jeff’s technical expertise but also by the calm, measured and authoritative way in which he gave others help and support.
I didn’t even bother looking for a solicitor, I engaged Jeff as my McKenzie Friend. He helped me file an application to court and draft a position statement. He subsequently helped support me in court.
In court Jeff was a rock-steady mentor, providing pragmatic and clear advice at just the right time. He negotiated with the other side and his clear familiarity with the system filled me with confidence in the waiting before the hearing. Importantly he had the confidence of the judge, who explicitly remarked on Jeff’s CV with obvious admiration.
In the hearing, following a rocky start (the judge thought my suggested residence schedule was too much for a 2 year old...and lots of allegations in mum's position statement - all ignored by Cafcass and the judge) the judge supported an amended schedule Jeff and I proposed; Jeff was then instrumental in hammering out a brief but prescriptive Shared Residence Order by consent.
The mother had applied for sole residence and proposed one Wednesday overnight a fortnight and every other weekend Friday to Sunday 6pm for contact. No holidays, other than alternate Christmas day.
I ended up with an SRO by consent, every Wednesday overnight and every other weekend Friday nursery pick up to Monday nursery drop off. I also got half of all holidays and alternate Christmas and Easter.
I am confident that with Jeff’s help, support and guidance I got the best outcome for my son; the long weekends and holidays in particular will help immensely in his relationship with me, his grandparents and his young cousin. I am sure I wouldn’t have secured such a good outcome for my son without Jeff’s calming influence, help and guidance.
Despite the fact I wasn't able to get a barrister, Jeff and his associates have been able to bring my case forward, and defend my position in a way a barrister probably wouldn't have, and for a very affordable cost.
I recommend Jeff to anyone facing legal family issues and wish to have tailor made defence.
I have had the pleasure of working with Jeff and Colin, both highly knowledgeable and professional, they helped me remain calm under extremely difficult circumstances, without them supporting me in the background with all the court statements and by my side in court, I would have fallen apart. Their ongoing support has been overwhelming and this type of first class service is something you do not get using a firm of solicitors. I feel indebted to you both, thank you.
My advice to anybody looking at this website, pick up the phone, it will be your best decision that you have ever made too.
Family Law Decisions provided me with a McKenzie friend (Jeff Botterill), advice on the process, help working with the various experts, and other ongoing support, maintaining their child-focused ethos throughout. They clearly have extensive experience of the family law process, and they are sensitive to the effects that it all can have on a 'litigant in person'. I am hugely grateful to the support that Family Law Decisions have provided in helping me stay in touch with my son, I could not have done it without them. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone seeking a child-focused resolution.
Thanks again Jeff to tell my mom of the outcome was the best news I’ve given her for a while. I owe part of that to you!!! Thanks:
"Well just back from my Fact-Finding hearing where I had DV, with Ex and Kids, Social Services and CaFcass reports unhelpful and didn’t want to make a decision. My Mckenzie friend coached me superbly and we went into court. 3 lady magistrates and the ex had Barrister. From the opening statement from the Barrister more accusations and request for an adjournment. To my relief and contrary to what people stated the magistrates unpicked her motives. Directed her counsel to agree on a position for contact by midday. The counsel started with supervised contact for a day to more than one day supervised, my Mckenzie friend played hardball we walked out the court with unsupervised for 2 days first month, 4 days next month then Alternative weekends moving forward. This is something reading posts I didn’t expect and I’m so chuffed. I have my boys back in my life and I choked when the magistrates emphasised the impact on kids and the legal implication if the order wasn’t upheld. So for all you fathers out there follow your heart do your research and more importantly don’t give up. I’m planning some fun times for my boys with the money I don’t have to spend fighting bitter accusations. Thanks to all and don’t go into court thinking they are against you !!!"
The first thing me and my husband said when we got in the car.
Whenever we have been in court Jeff has always been fully prepared for the appearance and the suggestions/advice he has given me has helped me set the agenda in court. Jeff is measured in his approach and calm at all times whether in or out of court.
Thank you so much again.
Have a lovely weekend!