Representing yourself in the divorce court

My first thought if required to enter a courtroom would be:”Oh my goodness! What ever should I wear?  Heels or flats?”

“Would a ‘Betty Davis’ chiffon veil be too old fashioned a look?  And how on earth am I supposed to know what everyone else is talking about when they will clearly be speaking a foreign legal language unknown to me?  And if I should helpfully mention to a lady barrister that her shoes most certainly do NOT go well with her wig, would I be sent swiftly off to the tower?”

The thought of having to stand up in court and try to remember reams of legal and financial facts, dropping papers all over the place, in order to not be bullied into a unfair divorce settlement, sends shivers down my spine, but that is just the experience of many women and men in the UK today.  With the legal aid cuts imminent, I daresay there will be a positive glut of self representations in the courtrooms around the country.

When it comes to divorce law, let’s face it, we’re all a bit ‘blonde’ – and even lawyers admit that different judges interpret our out-of-date laws in different ways – so a new ‘Litigant In Person‘ blog will be collecting stories and resources to share with any of you out there who are going to be standing up for yourself in the divorce court room.

Let’s start with this impassioned blog by Sophie, a litigant in person, who has experienced the most dreadful time in the courtroom feeling very bullied indeed.  Please don’t let this story put you off – but it is best to be prepared, as they say, for what may come your way!  Scott also shares his empowering experience of self representation.

An unfair system?  Read the experiences of our ‘litigants in person’ of the UK court……

In a world where sorting things out over a cup of tea with a mediator sadly is not yet everyone’s choice, despite the saving of oodles of time and money, those forced into the courts need our support.

Even if it is just how to dress appropriately.

So….  heels or flats?