Learning Centre
Family court, explained in plain English
Free guidance for parents representing themselves in the family court in England and Wales. No jargon, no scare stories, and nothing you have to pay for.
Common questions
View allThese are the questions people type into Google at midnight. No jargon, no scare stories, and no pretending the answer is simple when it is not.
My ex won't let me see my child
Contact has stopped and nobody has told you what your options are. Here is the order to do things in.
8 min read
Can my ex stop me taking my child on holiday?
Consent, court orders and the one rule that catches parents out: taking a child abroad without permission can be a criminal offence.
6 min read
My child doesn't want to see their other parent
A child saying no is not the end of the conversation, and it is not automatically alienation either. What the court expects from each parent.
8 min read
Court forms
View allEvery form asks for more than it explains. These guides walk through what each section is really asking for, and what the court does with your answers.
How to fill in a C100 form
The C100 is how most parents start a case about where a child lives or who they spend time with. Here is what each section actually asks for.
9 min read
What is a C1A form?
The supplemental form used to tell the family court about harm or domestic abuse, and what the court does with it.
6 min read
What is a position statement?
The single most useful document a litigant in person can write, and the one most people never file.
7 min read
Court process
View allKnowing what happens next takes a lot of fear out of the process. These guides cover each hearing type, who is in the room, and what the court is trying to decide.
What happens at a FHDRA
First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment: who is in the room, what is decided, and what to bring.
8 min read
What should I take to court?
Everything to have with you on the day, and the things nobody tells you until you are already standing outside the courtroom.
6 min read
How to prepare for CAFCASS
Who they are, what they are assessing, and the single biggest mistake parents make when they speak to them.
8 min read
Evidence
View allGood evidence is selected, not collected. These guides cover how to choose what matters and present it so a judge can actually use it.
Using messages as evidence in family court
Screenshots are the most common evidence parents bring and the most often mishandled. Here is how to do it properly.
7 min read
What evidence should I keep?
Most parents keep too much of the wrong thing and none of the right thing. Here is what actually helps.
7 min read
Communication
View allCommunication is the part of proceedings you fully control, and the part the court sees most clearly. These guides are about keeping the temperature down.
The QUEST 5 Laws of Communication
Five rules for writing to the other parent that keep the temperature down and hold up if a judge ever reads them.
6 min read
How do I respond to a difficult message?
The message that ruins your evening. How to answer it in three lines, and why that is the strongest possible reply.
6 min read
Reading is one thing. Staying organised is another.
QUEST keeps your dates, documents and evidence in one place, and talks you through what comes next. You can start without an account.
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