How long does family court process take and what to expect

[Babygirlmum]

How long does the court process take from the day of application to the day I receive a letter to go to court? My baby father is taking me to court, he is not on my child's birth certificate and has no parental responsibility as he took away that right when he walked out on her before she was born. He is taking me to court because apparently he wants fairness, he has been nothing but inconsistent in DDs life and only came into her life when she was 5 months old and has seen her a handful of times, he's nothing but manipulative towards me and does nothing but mentally abuse me, now he is taking me to court, does anyone know how long it will all be and what I need to prepare for, solicitors fees etc?

Thankyou

It depends on what area you're in and how busy the courts are. He'll need to get an order for parental responsibility first, so that'll take a while. When you get around to talking about child arrangements you can demonstrate his lack of involvement and committment. Solicitors fees are just ridiculous, you'd need to speak with a few of them to get an idea. They're not the only option though, you can prepare and represent yourself if you have the time to put the research in, you can also use a Mckenzie Friend. It very much depends on your circumstances and how much disagreement there is and whether there are any allegations (true or false on either side)