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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think jury duty is going to ruin my summer plans

272 replies

sulkingaboutjuryduty · 20/06/2021 08:08

Got my jury duty summons which I was fairly gutted about, having recently returned from mat leave, I'm a part time accountant and I love my job.

Asked to defer and was declined, so it starts on 16th August. I have a 15 month old and a 3.5year old, the 3.5 year old has 30 free hours which I use on my 3 working days and then the baby is with my mum. In six week holidays I was planning to take a mixture of annual leave, pay for holiday clubs and mum will help out a bit. Now there will be at least 2 weeks of their "school holidays" where I can't do anything with them, I've got to fork out for childcare over and above my working pattern and reading the leaflet, it doesn't qualify for claiming back?

My work have been great and said they will pay my normal salary so I won't need to claim loss of earnings but if I've got to put them in childcare it's going to cost me a fortune! My mum can't have them on my non working weekdays as she works, the baby will need a settling in period and the childcare setting I use require a months' notice to terminate so I'm looking at possibly six weeks nursery fee for her.
I'm just feeling like I will be significantly impacted by this.

OP posts:
Original poster
sulkingaboutjuryduty · 20/06/2021 08:09

Sorry I'm not sure it was clear in my OP - the 3.5year old will also need paying for as the free hours are for term time only.

OP posts:
tulippa · 20/06/2021 08:11

From your post it sounds like you're a single parent. Can their dad support you with this?

Namechangedlady · 20/06/2021 08:12

Where is the the dad in all this? Can't he take annual leave to help on the 2 days a week?

midgemagneto · 20/06/2021 08:20

I quick search suggests you can claim up to £64 a day fir childcare costs

Bloomsbury45 · 20/06/2021 08:20

I think the principle is that you can claim for costs you would not normally have incurred. The form is a bit black and white but if you can make a coherent case they should reimburse extra expenses. I would talk to the court.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/689220/juror-s-childcare-vulnerable-adult-elderly-care-provision-expenses-claim-eng.pdf

QuimKardashian · 20/06/2021 08:20

What's the children's dad doing?? Apart from nothing?

lavenderandwisteria · 20/06/2021 08:21

Oh god, that’s an absolute nightmare.

Surely you shouldn’t be out of pocket because of this? No idea how it works but YANBU!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 20/06/2021 08:23

Contact your littlest nursery and ask if they cam accommodate both DC full time for those two weeks as an emergency set up so you can attend Jury Duty - they may be able to come to a separate arrangement.

Ask for an invoice/receipt at the end from them for those specific weeks and timings and submit it to the court for reimbursement.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 20/06/2021 08:23

@QuimKardashian

What's the children's dad doing?? Apart from nothing?
And also this.
Aduckandachick · 20/06/2021 08:24

I did jury service a few months back, loads of people got out of it (after originally being denied deferment) for lots of different reasons.
People were ringing the court person (sorry can’t remember official title) every day to get out of it and did so successfully.
What reason did you give to defer?
Any chance you are breastfeeding the younger child? Could you be??! Maybe you forgot to mention it! It’ll only defer it but the timing might suit you better.

Ravenclawsome · 20/06/2021 08:25

Not sure if you are in England or Scotland but I think you can appeal directly to the sheriff/judge on the first day.

I've had to do it as I'm a court reporter.

The bods in the office are essentially reading from a list. In my case they said "we don't excuse journalists", whereas the judge took my point that I have a high probability of familiarity with a case and it's a waste of time and money to keep calling me.

Somewhat absurdly my BIL is a lawyer and automatically barred from jury service despite not having been near a criminal court in nearly 20 years (I'm not saying he should, just absurd that I'm not when my whole working week is in a court room).

In your case I would say it would cause financial hardship. It might not work but it's worth a punt.

Namechercanged · 20/06/2021 08:26
  1. Where's dad?
  1. You can claim.
  1. Do you have any friends who are teachers? I'd help in this scenario.
Rhayader · 20/06/2021 08:26

To be honest you are lucky that your work are paying your normal salary! It’s not a right (but I think it should be). My husband was told he would get paid for 2 weeks and if his case was longer it would be whatever he could claim back. He worked for a household name bank in their head office so hardly a small business.

newnortherner111 · 20/06/2021 08:26

Is there not a process to appeal against a refusal to defer?

LittleOwl153 · 20/06/2021 08:30

Talk to the nursery - explain what has happened. They might just take baby for the few days if there is noone else to help without requiring 6 weeks fees/notice periods.

I think if you are a single parent you should go back to them and say baby has not been in any childcare therefore you would need to take them with you and see if that changes things - or if you are not a single parent it is reasonable for you/them to expect dad to help.

bonfireheart · 20/06/2021 08:34

I am sure breastfeeding mothers are excused.

ApolloandDaphne · 20/06/2021 08:42

I think you need to go back to them to say you have no childcare for your baby and there is none available so if you cannot defer then you will need to bring them with you.

WaterBottle123 · 20/06/2021 08:44

Um yes. Dad?

EscapePeaBoo · 20/06/2021 08:45

I’ve always wondered what happens in cases like this...

Original poster
sulkingaboutjuryduty · 20/06/2021 08:49

Oh god sorry I don't mean to drop feed. My husband is a farmer and in august he will 100% be combining so won't be able to take time off. He's a brilliant dad and in the quieter months on the farm he is the primary career for them both. Absolutely not a "doing nothing" dad.

OP posts:
Willwebebuyingnumber11 · 20/06/2021 08:51

I was excused from jury service for childcare reasons, I would try and contact them again.

SoupDragon · 20/06/2021 08:52

I'm surprised they didn't let you defer it given your DH is a farmer! That's madness.

Bagelsandbrie · 20/06/2021 08:52

I’d go back and say you have no childcare and need to defer.

Original poster
sulkingaboutjuryduty · 20/06/2021 08:52

I'm only BF at night time and o feel quite strongly about lying although I had considered it.

I had thought the claim was just for loss of salary but thank you to those who have suggested it could be used to claim childcare. I will of course speak to nursery, I'm a bit miffed about having to put her in that setting to be honest because it wasn't what I'd planned this early with my normal working pattern.

OP posts:
Tumbleweed101 · 20/06/2021 08:53

If I remember rightly you can claim up to a certain amount for expenses and loss of earnings, although they may not cover everything. I claimed for breakfast club/ after school club costs as I wouldn’t usually have them In childcare at those parts of the day.