Our Purpose
WHAT IS A LITIGANT?
A litigant is a person involved in legal proceedings.
WHAT IS A LITIGANT IN PERSON?
A litigant in person is a person involved in legal proceedings and is not represented by a solicitor or barrister.
WHERE ARE CHILD PROCEEDINGS HEARD?
Child proceedings are all heard in the family court.
WHO IS THIS WEBSITE FOR?
1) Those of you thinking about starting or are in the midst of child proceedings – This website has been written as a guide to child proceedings for litigants in person. Even if you are not a litigant in person this website is still for you if you want to save money somewhere in child proceedings. For those of you who cannot get legal aid, maybe because you have equity in your home. This website is also for you.
2) Those of you seeking knowledge & information about child matters – This website also provides knowledge and information in one place on so many issues from education to safe guarding to child discipline. The days spend hunting through website after website on the internet are over. You now have I AM L.I.P education and child matters.
WHY WE STARTED THIS WEBSITE
The term ‘the only winners in the family court are the lawyers’ didn’t come from nowhere. We started this website so you and your family could be the ‘winners’. In the family court, you need help but not from someone who has an agenda to bleed you dry. Many of you will know what it feels like to want to sort out family issues, start again and be happy, but there are so many frightening stories around that the process seems daunting. Solicitors & barristers fees’ are astronomical (and according to us seriously abnormal). They can easily get out of control with people selling homes and assets to pay these fees. And of course, the courts are a law unto themselves and difficult to navigate.
At the mention of any child & family court proceedings, everyone around you will say ‘you need a good lawyer’. Initially, you may think okay, that’s the way forward. I’ll be fine. But it’s scary when lawyers get involved. You want to believe they’ll keep the costs low but before you know it, they’ll drink your money like water as if a thousand pounds here or there means nothing.
Many of us behind this website wish it had been around when our family members were dealing with their child custody cases. We saw them suffer at the hands of the judicial system which is outdated and frankly not fit for purpose. Judges were completely out of touch with reality. Lawyers, barristers and judges were governed by a system that doesn’t really work especially if you find yourself fighting against a narcissist or a ex-partner that wants revenge.
We believe our whole family judicial system needs an overhaul.
- Judges attitudes need to be brought up to date and they need to be retrained in how to deal with ‘real’ people.
- Courts need to be more ‘user’ friendly and less scary.
- Call waiting times need to be cut drastically.
- Legal costs need to be reviewed, brought down A LOT and CAPPED.
- Any solicitor or barrister that engages in abuse by proxy WILL BE to be struck off.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE ‘BULLYING BY PROXY IN CHILD PROCEEDINGS’
OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDES
We wrote our L.I.P help guides because we did not want anyone to feel the way our family members did when they were litigants in person: lost, alone, confused, scared, overwhelmed and let’s not forget – everyone makes you feel like a nuisance, leaving you open to be bullied, intimidated and manipulated. One of them was forced to scour the internet trying to find the information she needed, lining up for hours at the citizens advice bureau and contacting charity after charity desperate for even the tiniest bit of help. Often all she needed was the number of a form to fill in, yet time and time again she had “sorry I’m not allowed to give you legal advice” thrown in her face even when she wasn’t actually asking for legal advice. It just seemed a convenient way to get rid of her. Our help guides will help you navigate your child proceedings fully informed and with the knowledge to steer these proceedings to benefit you and your family and nobody else.
Our help guides will also provide knowledge and information on many child matters an individual may face.
OUR L.I.P FORUM
Legal aid cuts have created an overwhelming amount of litigants in person facing similar issues. Yet they feel alone and think they are the only one. Our L.I.P forum will bring you all together so you can educate one another, share your experiences and impart knowledge. You can support one another. All litigants in person are a family. Dealing with the courts, barristers and solicitors can be made a whole lot easier with community backing.