Going to Court against your ex can be extremely daunting. You will find lots of posts on social media about how awful the Family Court system is, about how abusers are rarely held accountable in criminal court and how survivors of abuse often feel traumatised by the way they are treated within these systems. All of the above is often true I am sad to say, and there is such a lot that needs to change to improve our legal systems – however, what you often don’t hear about are the success stories. After all, success doesn’t make quite as interesting reading..
Success
Several of my clients have had success in Court. I was in Court yesterday with a male client who got everything he wanted – his evidence is being considered by the Judge and he now has the opportunity to speak up in Court and tell everybody the full extent of the abuse him and his children have suffered. One of my clients was able to get a lifetime Restraining Order against her ex – it took 2 years before the case came to trial, but she did it! Another got the financial settlement she deserved after her ex tried to bully her into agreeing to much less. It CAN be done – with the right attitude, a strategic plan, a support team of people to help you – persistence may well pay off.
Whether you have a legal team or whether you are a Litigant in Person, what matters is the truth. If you are telling the truth, it might take a while for the Judge to understand it, it might take a few ‘slip ups’ from your ex before they are finally exposed, it might even take a few Hearings before you finally get to the crux of the matter, but ‘the truth will out‘ as the saying goes. The Court Order isn’t going to make your ex a better person, it’s not going to prevent them from pushing the boundaries, but it will give you a framework that will make your life easier in future.
Don’t think that because you are going to Court you are going to lose, see it as an opportunity to speak your truth, to expose your ex’s abuse and to stand up for yourself… and if you need advice and guidance on this, you know where to come.
