Share your experience of tribunal?

[PurpleBugz]

We have EHCP tribunal coming up for sections B F and I. I literally know the date and that it's online. I need to know what this experience is going to be like I'm more stressed about it than I need to be because I just don't know what to expect.

If people are happy to share their experiences that would be a great help to me!

How long does it take?

Did you feel the judge had read all the evidence? Did you feel there was enough time to cover the evidence?

Did you have a solicitor? If you have a solicitor does this mean you have to let the solicitor talk and stay quiet yourself? I'm legal aid we have had multiple trainee solicitors I'm just not convinced they will know the case well enough as my child is very complex!

Anything you wished you knew before?

Thanks in advance for any experiences shared!!

How long it takes very much depends on the case. You should allow all day but it may not take that long.

Representation isn’t essential. Legal help does not fund representation on the day. If you do have representation they will do a lot of the talking. There’s no one set format to hearings. Different judges prefer different structures to the hearing. For example, some will give the opportunity to make an opening statement, but not all do all of the time. It can help to have a few bullet points in case, and a bit about DC. If there are any witnesses they sometimes present their evidence about the case as a whole or sometimes they are ‘just’ cross examined about outstanding issues in the WD. You will get the opportunity to cover your case. The panel may have questions, too. Try not to worry. If you need a break you can ask.