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FAMILY LAW — CHILD ARRANGEMENTS SUPPORT
Your child. Your case.
Presented properly.
Child arrangements proceedings are among the most emotionally demanding situations a person can face. The documents you submit to court shape how your case is understood by the judge, by CAFCASS, and by everyone in that room. We help you get those documents right.
PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING
Safeguard Legal provides document preparation and practical support for family court proceedings. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal representation or regulated legal advice. If your matter involves safeguarding concerns, allegations of abuse, or an urgent application such as an emergency prohibited steps order, please contact a regulated family law solicitor immediately. If you are unsure whether your situation is urgent, CAFCASS can be reached on 0300 456 4000 and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available 24 hours on 0808 2000 247.
Navigating the family court without a solicitor is one of the hardest things a parent can do.
Whether you are applying for a child arrangements order, responding to one, or trying to change an existing arrangement that is no longer working, you are dealing with one of the most consequential legal processes there is. And you are likely doing it while managing the emotional weight of a relationship breakdown, the anxiety of not knowing what will happen, and the real fear of getting something wrong.
Most people going through child arrangements proceedings do not have legal representation. The legal aid cuts of 2013 removed access to publicly funded family law solicitors for the vast majority of private family law cases. An estimated 80% of private family law proceedings now involve at least one litigant in person. That is not a niche situation. It is the reality for most parents going through this process.
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What those parents often discover too late is that being unrepresented does not mean the court adjusts its expectations. The documents still need to be structured. The witness statement still needs to read clearly and professionally. The position statement still needs to communicate your case in a way that a judge can follow in a short hearing.
Safeguard Legal was built for exactly this situation. Not to replace a solicitor, but to give you access to the same quality of preparation that a solicitor would apply, at a fixed fee that does not require you to drain your savings before the first hearing.
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Our practice has direct experience of Children Act proceedings, domestic violence applications, and private family law matters. We understand how CAFCASS reports are structured and what the officer is looking for. We understand the difference between a witness statement that reads as credible and one that undermines itself. And we understand that behind every case file is a parent trying to protect their relationship with their child.
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You do not need to arrive with everything organised. You need to arrive with your account of what has happened and what you want for your child. We will help you build the rest.
"A judge may read your witness statement for the first time on the morning of the hearing. What it says, and how it says it, shapes the first impression your case makes. That impression matters."
WHAT WE DO
Serious preparation for every stage of your proceedings.
Child arrangements cases rarely resolve at a single hearing. They develop over time, through multiple stages, often with CAFCASS involvement, position statements at each hearing, and witness statements that are updated as proceedings progress. We provide structured support at every stage.
We prepare your documents to court standard
Witness statements, position statements, and supporting correspondence are prepared to the standard expected in family proceedings — structured, evidenced, and written to be read by a judge. From your account of what has happened, not from a template.
We help you organise your case
One of the most common challenges for litigants in person is knowing what matters and what does not. We help you identify what the court is likely to focus on, what evidence supports your position, and how to present a coherent case rather than a collection of incidents.
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We support you at each stage
From the initial C100 application through to final hearing preparation, we can provide support at the stages where it is most needed, without requiring you to commit to an open-ended retainer or estimate how long your proceedings will run.
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WHY SAFEGUARD LEGAL
This service is right for some people and not for others. Here is how to tell.
THIS IS RIGHT FOR YOU IF
You are applying for or responding to a child arrangements order
You are a litigant in person and need properly prepared documents
You need help organising your account into a clear, structured statement
You have documents, emails or notes you can share
You want to understand what CAFCASS is looking for and how to engage with the process
You want fixed-cost support without committing to full legal representation
THIS IS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU IF
Your matter involves urgent safeguarding concerns requiring immediate court intervention
You need legal representation at a hearing
You need regulated legal advice on whether to pursue or settle your case
Your matter involves more than 50 pages of supporting documents
Your matter involves public law proceedings or local authority involvement
WE CAN HELP WITH
Documents and support across the full proceedings.
01
C100 application support
Guidance on completing and structuring your C100 application for a child arrangements order, including what to include, what to avoid, and how to frame your initial position clearly and appropriately.​
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Response to the other party's documents
If you have received a witness statement or position statement from the other party and need help preparing a structured response that addresses the key points without escalating conflict unnecessarily.​
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Witness statements
A professionally structured witness statement that presents your account clearly, chronologically, and in the format expected by the family court. Written to be credible, readable, and focused on what matters to the proceedings.
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CAFCASS section 7 report preparation
Guidance on what CAFCASS is looking for in a section 7 report, how to engage constructively with the process, and how to prepare a supporting statement that complements rather than contradicts the investigation.
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Position statements
A concise position statement for each hearing that sets out where you stand, what you are seeking, and why, within in the format judges expect and in the timeframe they are able to read it before the hearing begins.
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Court correspondence and letters
Formally structured correspondence to the court, to CAFCASS, or to the other party's legal representatives, written to the appropriate standard and in the correct format for the proceedings stage.​
HOW IT WORKS
Four steps. No uncertainty.
01
GET YOUR FIXED PRICE.
Answer a few short questions about your situation. The calculator gives you an exact fee, there are no hidden extras, no "call us for a quote."
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02
PAY & BOOK
Pay securely online. Once payment is confirmed, you receive a link to book your 50-minute consultation at a time that suits you.
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03
Consultation and drafting
We go through your situation in full. The letter is then drafted with structure, properly evidenced, and targeted.
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04
Review and submit
Read the draft carefully. One full revision is included to refine, adjust, or clarify what is already there. The revision does not extend to introducing new information, incidents, or material that was not part of the original instruction. Your final letter is then ready to submit.
Experience that comes from inside the process. Not from reading about it.
Direct family law experience
Our practice is grounded in real Children Act proceedings, including direct casework across private law matters, domestic violence applications, and family court hearings. We understand how these documents are read because we have worked inside the environments that read them.
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Law Society accredited
Our principal holds Law Society accreditation in Employment Law and Family Law. Micro-credentials that are independently verified credentials, not self-assessed. This is the standard against which our work is calibrated.
Fixed fee, not hourly
Family proceedings can run for many months. We do not ask you to commit to an open-ended retainer. Each instruction is fixed fee, agreed before payment, with no hourly billing and no revision fees on the included round of revisions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions people ask before booking
Do I need a solicitor for child arrangements proceedings?
No. You are entitled to represent yourself as a litigant in person in family proceedings. The court is accustomed to dealing with unrepresented parties. What matters is that your documents are properly prepared and that you understand the process at each stage. Many parents navigate child arrangements proceedings successfully without a solicitor, particularly with the right preparation and support.
What is a C100 and do I need help completing it?
A C100 is the application form used to apply for a child arrangements order. It asks for information about the child, the parties, and the arrangements you are seeking. Completing it clearly and accurately matters as an incomplete or poorly framed application can cause delays or create an unhelpful first impression. We can guide you through the process and review your completed form before submission.
What should a witness statement in family proceedings include?
A witness statement should tell your story clearly and chronologically, setting out the background to the proceedings, your relationship with your child, the arrangements that have been in place, any concerns you have, and what you are asking the court to do. It should be factual, focused on the child's welfare, and free from excessive detail about adult conflict. The format must comply with the court's procedural rules. We help you structure all of this correctly.
What is a position statement and when do I need one?
A position statement is a short document, typically one to two pages, that sets out your current position at a specific hearing. It tells the judge where things stand, what you are seeking, and whether any progress has been made since the last hearing. Judges often read position statements on the morning of the hearing. A clear, concise, and properly formatted statement makes a significant difference to how your case is received.
What does CAFCASS actually do?
CAFCASS, the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, safeguards and promotes the welfare of children in family proceedings. Officers speak to both parties and often to the child, and they produce reports for the court, including section 7 welfare reports and safeguarding letters, that carry significant weight in the judge's decision. Understanding what CAFCASS is looking for and how to engage constructively with the process is an important part of preparing for proceedings.
How long do child arrangements proceedings typically take?
The median duration of a child arrangements case in England and Wales is currently around 43 weeks from application to final order. That figure has been rising in recent years due to court backlogs. Proceedings typically involve multiple hearings, including a first hearing dispute resolution appointment, a fact-finding hearing if allegations are made, and a final hearing. We can provide support at each stage as your matter develops.
My ex has a solicitor and I do not. Is that a problem?
It is a common situation and the court is aware of it. Judges make allowances for litigants in person, and the other party's solicitor is not permitted to take advantage of your unrepresented status. What matters is that your documents are prepared properly and that you understand what is happening at each stage. Well-prepared, professionally structured documents significantly reduce the disadvantage of being unrepresented.
Is this service confidential?
Yes. Everything you share with us is held in strict confidence and used only for the purpose of preparing your document. We do not share your information with any third parties. Full details are set out in our Privacy Policy.
Can you help me if proceedings have already started?
Yes. We regularly support clients who are already in proceedings, whether they need a position statement for an upcoming hearing, a response to the other party's witness statement, or help understanding what happens next. You do not need to have instructed us from the beginning for us to be able to help you.