What to do and how to do it

Representing yourself in family court - film

This short film looks at how to represent yourself in court about a family problem if you do not have a lawyer. It deals with the things you may be worrying about and shows you simple tips that will help you put your side as well as you can.
How to represent yourself in the family court

We made this short film because we know that going to court without a solicitor is a very frightening and stressful experience and we want to help.

It looks at the questions people who have represented themselves told us they worried about most, and shows you simple tips that you can use to put your side as well as you can.

Produced - April 2019
Reviewed September 2022

Reviewed September 2024

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About this film

Disclaimer

The information in this guide applies to England and Wales and is for general purposes only. The law may be different if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The law is complicated. We have simplified things in the guide to give you an idea of how the law applies to you. Please don't rely on this guide as a complete statement of the law or as a substitute for getting legal advice about what to do in the specific circumstances of your case.

The quotes and cases we refer to are not always real but show a typical situation. We hope they help you think about how to deal with your own situation.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Family Justice Council for funding this short film. We would like to thank all those who provided feedback on the script.

This film was reviewed thanks to funding from Litigant in Person Support Strategy. 

5
6 Reviews

thank you

made me laugh because it was like watching myself in court i have often broke down and i cant read to good and i have to represent myself in court and it is the most horrible feeling when they have all there papers and i dont even know whats going on and the lies are soooooooo bad it makes me mad, but watching this short film has shown me to keep my cool and try not to cry and interrupt, i talk fast anyway so its even harder when im upset. thank you for making me see myself and how it does not help my boys i think im passionate when im trying to tell the judge everything but in reality im doin myself but most of inportantly my boys NO GOOD. in going to court now with some hope and my mouth shut lol. wish me luck thank you again x
5
melanie on the 16 / 01 / 2020

Representing yourself in a family court.

Priceless to know how to professionally represent yourself in court.
5
on the 21 / 08 / 2019

Very informative

Addresses every detail, thank you sharing it
5
Reena on the 14 / 06 / 2019

Representing yourself in court

Thank you. This is really helpful.
5
on the 05 / 04 / 2019

Family disputes

I am so grateful that this video has been made easy to reach to guide people like me who cannot afford a solicitor so i can be confident and ready to stand for myself. The tips in this video are very helpful and full of knowledge what to do and say to the court. And how to behave inside the court to get a positive outcome in whatever I would be asking the court to decide for my case. MS
5
MRS MARIAM AKHTAR on the 23 / 11 / 2018

Super helpful

Thank you! I am very nervous and i will watch this many times.
5
on the 02 / 08 / 2018

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