Self-Representation
It is quite possible to self-represent in Family and Magistrates Court – and many men who lack the funds for legal help have no choice but to do this. But to achieve effective results this requires a huge amount of effort, careful reading, gathering evidence. This is extremely difficult if your son is also trying to hold down a job and deal with all the emotional stress of this legal battle.
But there are resources to help your son with this process. A number of the mothers have recommended a Facebook group called Family Law Assist which was set up to assist self-represented litigants in family law. It is run by lawyers generously provide free resources for people dealing with matters in the Family Court, answering questions and giving advice. Here’s their address and this is their website address.
Another source of help is the Mckenzie Friends website. See this link. Here is one example from their section on getting prepared:
“The first thing to do is contact family relationship centres and get parent “counselling”. Start a parenting course. Get the certificate. It’s also vital for properly preparing you for a Family Report. If you don’t speak the language family professionals use, and you don’t acquire some new, higher skills for this new situation, you can easily end up with a negative evaluation, resulting in limited supervised access instead of what could have been full shared parenting. Yes, the difference can be that great.”
And here is some of their advice about the dangers of seeking counselling during a family law battle:
“Do not talk to psychologists, psychiatrists or a GP about your feelings. They can only help you if they give you a “diagnosis” as in mental illness diagnosis which will be recorded, which can and WILL be subpoenaed by your ex to prove you’re bat-shit crazy and dangerous and she needs sole parental responsibility, etc.”
The MOS mothers have not assessed the paid membership McKenzie Friends Club – a new feature designed to help men self-represent - but much of the free advice on the site makes a lot of sense.
Download a printable copy of this advice as a PDF