How much did you court case for child residency arrangements cost?

[Rosiekate1]

I am likely going to need to court to decided on the primary school for my son. ExH unwilling to accept my local school.

I have heard it costs £25k to go through court. I don't have these funds.

How much did it cost you?

£30k

I should add, son lives with me most of the time

I assumed that the child's school was decided by the main parent? I looked on my local council's website recently and they base it on the parent who is claiming child benefit.

Yes I get the child benefit. What if he takes me to court to get RP? Would he pay my legal fees if he loses? And likewise would I need to pay his if he wins?

Is it really 30k? Wow. How do people afford this if they don't have the money. Do you pay it back over your lifetime like a mortgage?

Threats to court are usually just that. Ignore. Typically court waiting times are horrendously long, it’d be at least a year, 18 months before you’d even get a judgment by which time your child would have been at the chosen school a good while and therefore it’s highly unlikely you’d be forced to move them.

Go and look at all the local options. Apply for the school most suitable. Be clear about why you’re choosing that particular school in case you’re ever questioned. If he wants to contest it let him apply to court himself.

£10k. Absolute nightmare

Mine cost me £40 K but he fought everything tooth and nail - it total for children and finances it was 80K -

I wish I had done it myself and it would have had the same outcome but I wasn’t mentally or emotionally in the right place. He made up so many lies I was fighting fire.

Funnily enough on the one occasion I went to court at short notice without a solicitor as he gave me the papers on Friday at 4 pm for a court hearing on Monday morning - the judge offered to postpone and when I said I have the text messages and counter evidence ready and photocopied three times the judge was really lovey to me - raised his voice with ex and his barrister and gave ex a restraining order and warned both him and his barrister than they were abusing the court process.

you can present your own statements etc

you have good arguments for your case?

Wow 80k! I just don't have this kind of money at all. I would need to represent myself.

Yes I hopefully have a good argument for my case. DS lives with me just over 5 nights per week. We have good links with the area, nursery, play groups, friends, family. Hopefully this is enough.

My friend has just been to court with her EH to decide their DCs school and it's cost her about £10k.

Hi there.

You don't have to use a solicitor, you can do it yourself. There for you would only pay a small amount. You would have to try mediation first and then if it didn't work court.

I've been to court many times and it has cost me a hell of a lot. But I know it doesn't have to.

You could also just hire a barrister to represent you in court.