Can anyone give me objective advice about whether I should risk attending the FHDRA as a litigant in person with a Mackenzie friend?
This is a CAO safeguarding case and CAFCASS is involved.
I have £50 in my bank account. I have a credit card I can use but I am terrified of being in over my head in debt. My ex husband is a high earner who financially abused me. He has been arrested for what he did to me physically (Rape, ABH, sexual assault) and he abused the children physically and emotionally. This is a children’s safeguarding hearing re child arrangements. We had to attend an emergency hearing in December and that wiped me out financially. I am now in arrears to my solicitor.
He will be fully represented by a barrister and a solicitor. He has access to personal cash and family money. I am sure finances will eventually be sorted out in the divorce but it’s going to take ages and I know he will fight that tooth and nail because he sees it as “his money” and our marital house is “his house because he bought it with his money” etc etc. He earned a health six figure income and made me use my meagre income to pay for many family expenses and refused budges and plans so it was impossible for me to save and I am the primary carer of our three children so my work has always been part time. Even when we had three children three and under, he told people, “my wife is self sustaining”. He treated me like an au pair, room and board and that’s it.
And now I have to figure out if I should pay £1800 for a barrister and about £2000 for a solicitor for this hearing. He is aggressive and has a good team around him. I was told the FHDRA is mainly procedural. I don’t want to get this wrong. I don’t want to make a bad decision but almost don’t trust my private pay solicitor bc she is encouraging litigation loans and credit cards and I have no clue what financial position I will be in after all of this.
I suspect legal aid will be approved for future hearings but you don’t know until you know.
Any advice?