|
OUR
EXPERIENCES
and
KNOWLEDGE CAN HELP YOU
"Every child has a right to un-encompassed contact, in a safe
environment, with both parents and extended family"
Welcome to the website of Children
and Family Contact Advice Service
which has been
set up to help in all areas of Children and Family Law. Our
remit is to offer affordable, straightforward help to parents and
their families who are picking their way through the maze of
Children Act proceedings. We provide telephone and email
advice to help people who are unsure and who are having difficulties
understanding the complexities of the Family Court system. We also
specialise in case management. We will go through your
correspondence and help you draft responses all the way through to a final
Court Hearing.
CAFCAS
was set up three years ago, by David. Who has over
12 years experience in family law . He has the sort of experience
with Family Law that even an experienced solicitor could not call upon. One of only a handful of fathers who
have overcome entrenched hostility to win contact and then a
residency order for his young daughter, David represented
himself in court on numerous occasions, including the final change
of residency.
We strongly believe that the only way forward,
without harming the child and the parents, is through mediation.
Only use the courts when everything else has failed.
The court system will scar everyone at some level, for life,
including the child. With this in mind we have often been used as an
intermediary and advisor for both parents and children. Everyone
believes that they want and are acting for the benefit of the child.
Yet so often, and so easily, the parents needs and emotions are
allowed to take
over. This can lead to harmful tactics such as implacable and
entrenched hostility, false allegations and parental alienation.
Unfortunately it is very easy to get caught up in this and justify
it by the phrase
"in the best interest
of the child"
Our honest views of the legal system and its
impact upon the whole family helps to focus on the real issues.
How do we move on with our lives in a way that
will cause the least damage, especially to the child?.
We focus on what is in the best interest of the child
- a phrase
that is bandied about - but often something that gets lost along the
way in the legal process. We will give practical, pragmatic advice
based on experience and an up-to-date knowledge of the Family Court
and legal system rather than a jargon-filled briefing that leaves you
scratching your head.
While not wishing to undermine the good work many
solicitors do, it is true to say that Family Law can be prohibitively expensive and can rule many
out from seeking their advice. Legal aid in family matters is
almost impossible to get. Would a person of limited means be able
to continue fighting for the rights of their child on the basis of
£100+ per hour with no limit to the size of the bill at the end of
it all?. No, in most cases it is simply no affordable. We try to
address that buy guiding you through the
legal maze as a litigant in
person.
Who do we help
Our client come from all
walks of life, Both resident parent and non-resident
parent. Grandparents and extended family. We help:
-
Those who simply can not afford the huge
legal fees needed in family law, but are not entitled to
legal funding.
-
Those people who are starting to loose faith
in their legal representative and wish to represent themselves,
but need a little advice and assistance at points within there
case.
-
People who simply need advice, mediation and
assurance, or a second opinion.
How we are funded
We receive no public/government funding. We
survive on your subscriptions and fees for case work, which supports
the most important service we
offer, the telephone and e-mail service.
Why Use Us?
We offer a tailor-made service to suit your needs
and budget. There are many sites out there who offer support
and advice. We only focus
on Family Law. There are no hourly rate, or targets to meet. Our
goal is to act in the best interests of your
child and you. Just give us a ring
(01623
835148 or 07531879300) or
contact us via e-mail
cfcdvice@talktalk.net to arrange
for a consultation or to ask a
question .
How Can We Help You Right Now
A subscription of
£50.00 for six months - which
would buy less than half an hour with a solicitor - gives you
access to our advisors for the equivalent of 27p per day and they will
deal with your specificquestions.
Becoming a member also gives you a
half hour consultation.
FREE
Half hour consultation
This gives you the opportunity of talking to one
of our specialists. We
will review your case,
discuss your options and see if we can help and advise you. We will
listen to your case history. Talk you through the processes, and
advise you of the best way forward in your case. Our telephone advice lines
are open between 9am
and 1pm (7 days a week). We can
help you respond to letters, (solicitors or any other) prepare your
first court application, prepare court statements, and deal with all
Court administration, CAFCASS reports, Social services, etc. right through to final hearings.
Specific telephone appointments to discuss your
individual case can be made between the hours of 2pm and 7pm
(Monday to Friday).
Call us now on: (01623
835148 or 07531879300)
Access us via E-mail -
cfcdvice@talktalk.net . We will
respond within 24 hours of receipt.
How Can We Help You Further?
Full representation
This can take most of the administrative pressure off you. We will read through
and check your case bundles and then advise you on the correct
responses and procedures. We will then
prepare a response for you in the appropriate form (statement,
applications, correspondence etc).
We will deal with and advise you on any other procedures and
professional bodies, such as CAFCASS, Social Services. We can if
requested attend court with you, as a
McKenzie Friend. to advise you outside of
court. We can if the Judge allows speak on your behalf.
Face to face meetings
This gives you the opportunity to meet and go
through your specific case with someone who understands case law and
who can advise you on the best way forward. We can meet at our
offices, or we will come to your home and give you the time you
need. Court paperwork, forms and reports can be overwhelming. We can
help you handle, understand and deal with all of it. Again,
reasonable fees will be agreed in advance.
We offer an emergency out of
hours telephone advice
This service is only available to our members.
|
