When you represent yourself in a contested family case, in other words without a lawyer, you are called a ‘litigant in person’ (LIP). It’s an extremely daunting experience and the best way to cope is to understand the process, read up about the issues, get good advice and guidance and be organised so as to make sure you do what’s necessary. For the professionals involved it’s their jobs. For you it’s your life and much more stressful. The better prepared you are the less likely you are to be overwhelmed.
The ONRECORD app, by storing good quality and detailed evidence online, which can be securely shared with professionals, provides the best opportunity for anyone to penetrate the resistance to them being heard. There are plenty of powerful figures, such as those suppressing the information about child abuse on the British mainland and the Channel Islands, who will try to silence victims. In the end, though, being able to present your evidence clearly and share it securely is the most effective way of ensuring that cover-ups are uncovered and the guilty face justice.
You will gain a lot by understanding what’s to be covered in a CAFCASS interview and to have had time to think about how you’ll reply. So prepare well. Read their interview plan to see what CAFCASS cover in their interview, understand the principles by which they work and read my previous blogs with more CAFCASS information.
