Education and Child Matters

I AM L.I.P

I am a Litigant In Person

Help Guide 10

Where to Save Money During Child Proceedings

 

Child proceedings can be a very expensive process if you and your ex-partner are not careful. No matter how much you are financially worth, nobody wants to run up huge legal fees and court costs whilst suffering the stress and trauma that comes along with it.

Today in 2021, with the many options and resources available, it is very easy to save money and achieve the same goal.

After speaking to many people who have been through child proceedings, let us emphasise one very important fact before you read all the money saving tips below. That is, if you want to save money during your case –

KEEP CALM AND KEEP A LEVEL HEAD.

DON’T REACT. TRY AND BRING YOUR EX-PARTNER AROUND WHEN THEY DO.

STEER YOUR SHIP AWAY FROM ROUGH EXPENSIVE WATERS.

DO NOT TAKE ACTION WHEN YOU OR YOUR EX-PARTNER ARE ANGRY OR AFTER HEATED WORDS. 

(Solicitors and barristers will always take advantage of the above)

MONEY SAVING TIP 1 – USE OUR WEBSITE

Read this website inside out and act on the procedural guidance given. Our L.I.P website has detailed explanations on the whole child arrangements process and other child proceedings. There are detailed write ups on the forms you will need, links where to find them and other write ups on virtually every thing you could come across during your child proceedings. This website will save you so much money. 

MONEY SAVING TIP 2 – TRY DIY CHILD ARRANGEMENTS

If there is no dispute in child arrangements, then try a DIY child arrangements – read this website, complete the whole process yourself, and fill in forms using online government guidance notes and our Help Guides. 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO DIY CHILD ARRANGEMENTS

MONEY SAVING TIP 3 – TRY CHILD ARRANGEMENTS WITH MEDIATION HELP

If you are finding the process of sorting out child arrangements difficult and not straightforward, please try mediation. Talking to your ex-partner (the other party to the proceedings) with an experienced mediator present will be cheaper than talking through solicitor’s letters, going to court, and paying for barristers. 

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO CHILD ARRANGEMENTS WITH MEDIATION HELP

MONEY SAVING TIP 4 – BE AWARE OF FRIENDLY ADVICE 

The first thing most people are told when they reveal that they are contemplating any family court proceedings is that ‘you need a good solicitor’. They take this advice and before you know it, legal fees start to mount up. Please do not automatically think you need a solicitor and this is the only way forward. It is not. Today there are many options. Please click on the link below.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO CHILD ARRANGEMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR CHILD ARRANGEMENTS AFTER FAMILY BREAKDOWN SUCH AS DIVORCE OR SEPARATION

MONEY SAVING TIP 5 – READ OUR HELP GUIDE TO SOLICITORS BEFORE YOU TALK TO ONE

If you are going to hire a legal team/solicitor, shop around and ask upfront about fees, total costs, and when will you be billed. Ask the legal firm if they can use a paralegal or assistant to do some of the work to save costs. Ask if you can review your legal costs regularly.

Once you have instructed your solicitor do not forget to always ask them the cost beforehand of every piece of work they do for you. If you can do some of it yourself with the help of this website, tell them and discuss it. Always rationalise whether or not you need to use a solicitor at each stage of your child proceedings. Most times, you can fill in the form yourself using online guidance notes. You can also use other cheaper methods to gain the same advice you would receive from a solicitor, such as from the citizens advice bureau, the internet, and government bodies. We always feel it is best to use the combination method if you cannot conduct the whole child proceedings  yourself – the easier things you can do yourself for free and pay solicitors for the harder things that you cannot do. Please read our guide to solicitors.  

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO ‘SOLICITORS’

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO BARRISTERS

MONEY SAVING TIP 6 – PRACTICE THE 48 HOUR COOLING PERIOD TECHNIQUE

During your child arrangement proceedings you may get angry, irritated, impatience and upset with your ex-partner and the whole court process. At this time it is very easy to make decisions that can cost you financially and you may regret later.

When you are angry with your ex-partner or feeling revengeful towards them, please remember never to call anyone including your ex-partner, talk to anyone concerning your case, instruct a solicitor, or make a decision. You must leave it for 48 hours then contact act if you need to. Give yourself a chance to cool down. 

Please remember the golden rule – do not instruct a solicitor or do anything else in the heat of the moment that you will regret later.

MONEY SAVING TIP 7 – USE WHATSAPP AS YOUR PERSONAL ASSISTANT

If you have a solicitor dealing with your child proceedings case, please do not use them as a personal assistant to write to your ex-partner about every little silly thing. That’s what WhatsApp is for. Please remember WhatsApp is free.

MONEY SAVING TIP 8 – BE ORGANISED AND STAY ON TOP OF YOUR CHILD PROCEEDINGS

Be organised and stay on top of your child proceedings. Know dates, timescales, and what is required at what time, so you do not incur fines or are in contempt of court or waste money on appointments you forgot to attend. Please click on the following link for more information.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR ‘PRE-CHILD PROCEEDINGS ADVICE’ 

MONEY SAVING TIP 9 – 1 HOUR FREE CONSULTATION

Many solicitors offer 1 hour free consultation to new clients. Please use this offer. Go in with a list of questions you need answering and write notes as the solicitor speaks. These sessions may be advertised in your local newspaper.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO ‘SOLICITORS’

MONEY SAVING TIP 10 – WRITE YOUR OWN USING OUR TEMPLATES  

Please read our L.I.P Help Guides and learn how to prepare a witness statement, position statement, draft consent agreement, and a bundle yourself. We have provided sample templates for you to download and use. This will save you a lot of money instead of getting a solicitor to do it.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR ‘YOUR WITNESS STATEMENT EXPLAINED’

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO ‘YOUR POSITION STATEMENT EXPLAINED’

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO ‘YOUR DRAFT CONSENT AGREEMENT EXPLAINED (ALSO CALLED A DRAFT CONSENT ORDER AND AN INFORMAL AGREEMENT)’

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE TO ‘HOW TO PREPARE A BUNDLE FOR COURT’

MONEY SAVING TIP 11 – VISIT THE SUPPORT THROUGH COURT UNIT

You should go and speak to the ‘support through court’ unit. Support through court is a free charity based organisation usually located in the family court where child arrangements are heard. It was originally known as the PSU – the personal support unit. Support through court is there to help any person who is NOT legally represented in court. They can guide you, give practical and emotional support, and help you solve issues. They can also attend court with you. However, they cannot give you legal advice.

LINK TO THE ‘SUPPORT THROUGH COURT’ WEBSITE

MONEY SAVING TIP 12 – IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND YOU CAN STOP OR PAUSE COURT PROCEEDINGS

Many people think that once child arrangement proceedings have started or are a certain way along they cannot be stopped or halted. People are often told this by solicitors and barristers who want the proceedings to continue because it benefits them financially or are persuaded not to stop as they may have the upper hand or are reminded by others why the proceedings started in the first place. 

We at I AM L.I.P think differently. We have written a Help Guide explaining how exactly you can stop or halt child arrangement proceedings. Promise yourself that if things start to mend and get better between yourself and your partner then you will reconsider putting your family back together and our Help Guide 9 will help you do just that.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR HOW TO WITHDRAW (STOP) OR HALT (STAY) YOUR DIVORCE, FINANCIAL PROCEEDINGS, CHILD ARRANGEMENT PROCEEDINGS, AND ANY APPLICATION MADE 

MONEY SAVING TIP 13 – USE OUR FORUM

If there are any questions you have, advice you need, or you want to tap into someone else’s experience go to our I AM L.I.P forum and talk to other people. It’s free and you will be exposed to a wealth of knowledge, experience and guidance.