“I need urgent help”
If you are in immediate danger or need emergency protection for yourself or your children, you'll find clear guidance on when and how to access assistance.
Urgent Issues →Welcome to Phoenix Family Law
You deserve clarity — and the confidence to be your own best advocate.
Created to help you understand the family court process at your own pace, we provide clear and accessible legal information, wellbeing tools and guidance designed with your experiences in mind. You are not alone.
Common concerns
Feeling overwhelmed is normal — here's where to begin
When you're self-representing it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the formal language, letters and courtroom behaviour of legal professionals. Understanding your rights and boundaries can help you feel more in control and confident.
Family proceedings in England and Wales are governed by the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR), and Practice Directions (PDs) that explain how to apply them — how to complete forms, prepare for hearings, or follow safeguarding steps.
“I feel overwhelmed. How do I start the process?”
Before applying to court you must show you have tried to resolve your case using non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) — mediation, arbitration or another approved method. The Family Procedure Rules 2010, Rule 3.3(1) sets out the court's obligation to consider whether NCDR is appropriate at every stage. Sometimes NCDR is not appropriate, and there are special exemptions for those circumstances.
If you're not sure where to start, choose the section under Your Options that best fits your current situation.
“I have to respond to everything straight away”
The law does not require you to respond to solicitors' letters immediately — though it's not advisable to ignore them. A letter may urge you to reply within a specified time frame to apply pressure, but 14 days is the customary timeframe for responding. Give yourself time to breathe, review and respond.
Our Solicitor FAQ section provides template responses to common solicitors' letters.
“Will the judge believe me without a lawyer?”
Judges are trained to treat Litigants in Person (people who self-represent) fairly and without bias under the Equal Treatment Bench Book. The law recognises your right to self-represent, and family court proceedings are designed to be accessible to non-lawyers. The court has a duty to ensure you are heard and understood — and you are entitled to ask for special measures if you are affected by trauma or abuse.
What we do
Support at every stage
Legal information
Plain-English guides to the laws governing family court, your rights within the system and how each stage of the process works.
Family Court Guide →Interactive flowcharts
Step-by-step clickable flows that ask about your circumstances and signpost you to the right guidance, forms and services.
Try a flowchart →Wellbeing tools
Grounding techniques and court wellbeing tools to help you stay calm and steady during difficult times — for you and your children.
Know Your Mind →Phoenix will connect you with trusted local organisations and services in Sussex — and we also signpost national support and helplines, so you are never without a pathway to support.
Support services
Hands-on help, if you'd like it
Alongside our free guides, we offer fixed-fee support services for litigants in person — help completing court forms, reviewing your notes and preparing for hearings — built on five years' lived experience of the family courts. Every engagement starts with a free 15-minute fit call, and we always signpost free alternatives where they fit better.
Phoenix Family Law is not a firm of solicitors and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority — what we offer is support, never legal advice.