When proceedings are issued, the first appointment (legally the First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment or FHDRA) is where the court decides the issues it will need to look at in the case and what arrangements should be made for the children until further decisions can be made.
Where there are allegations of abuse, the court will be considering Practice Direction 12J.
It can be many months before the case is back before the court again and, in our experience, legal representation at this appointment is far more important than parties might realise.
We can advise you about what you should be asking the court to do and how we can maximize your chance of working towards the outcome you want.
We look forward to hearing from you
To arrange your free first diagnostic interview please do get in touch.