Family court can feel overwhelming when you are trying to work out what matters now, what the latest order means and what you need to do next. A focused 15-minute consultation with JSH Law is designed to help you identify the immediate issue, understand what kind of support may be useful and decide on a practical next step — without requiring you to organise your entire case before making contact.
JSH Law Initial Consultation
Not sure what help you need? Start with 15 minutes.
Tell me where your family court case has reached, what is causing the immediate difficulty and what deadline or hearing is coming next.
The initial consultation is designed to identify the problem, work out whether JSH Law is the right type of support and decide what — if anything — would be useful to do next.
You do not need to understand the correct legal terminology before you book. Bring the problem as you currently understand it.
Choose a time
Book your 15-minute initial consultation
Use the booking form below and include the most important practical information: what the case is about, your next hearing or deadline if there is one, and what you need help with now.
Select your consultation
You do not need to send your entire case file before booking.
Your enquiry and any documents you provide will be handled in accordance with the JSH Law Privacy Policy .
What the consultation is for
Fifteen minutes should answer the first question: what needs to happen next?
The consultation is deliberately focused. It is not intended to reconstruct several years of litigation or complete substantive drafting during the call.
Understand the immediate issue
Identify what has happened and why you are seeking help now.
Identify urgency
Establish whether there is a hearing, filing deadline, safeguarding concern or other time-sensitive step.
Identify the service
Work out whether you need document support, evidence organisation, hearing preparation, McKenzie Friend assistance or another service.
Define the next task
If further work would help, identify a sensible first piece of work rather than opening an unlimited brief.
Check JSH Law is the right fit
Some matters require a solicitor, barrister, legal-aid provider, expert or specialist safeguarding service instead.
Clarify likely cost
Where further paid work is appropriate, the scope and charging basis can be discussed before work begins.
Who books with JSH Law?
Practical support for people navigating family proceedings themselves
Private children proceedings
Child arrangements, enforcement, variation, safeguarding concerns and related applications.
Cafcass & professional reports
Section 7 reports, safeguarding material, professional recommendations and written responses.
Domestic abuse & coercive control
Evidence organisation, allegation schedules, PD12J context and practical court preparation.
Court documents
Position statements, witness statements, chronologies, schedules, submissions and document review.
Upcoming hearings
Hearing preparation, bundle navigation, speaking plans and McKenzie Friend support.
Procedural overwhelm
Help working out where the case stands, what the latest order requires and what needs doing next.
Before the call
Have these five things ready if you can
1. The immediate problem
In one or two sentences, what has happened that made you book the consultation?
2. Your next date
The next hearing, filing deadline or other important court date.
3. The latest order
If there is a recent court order, it is often the quickest way to understand where the case currently stands.
4. The document causing concern
A Cafcass report, application, statement, judgment, draft order or other document directly relevant to the problem.
5. What you want help with
You do not need the legal terminology. Explain the practical outcome you are trying to achieve.
Do not worry if something is missing
The consultation can also identify which documents need to be located before substantive work begins.
Please do not send everything first
A focused starting point is usually more useful than a 2,000-page document dump
Family cases can accumulate years of emails, screenshots, orders, reports, statements and correspondence. That does not mean every document needs reviewing before we can identify the immediate problem.
Start with the latest relevant order and the document directly connected to the issue. If wider evidence needs reviewing, that can then be scoped properly.
This keeps the first stage proportionate and helps avoid paying for unnecessary review.
How it works
From consultation to a defined piece of work
Book your 15-minute call
Choose a suitable appointment using the booking form and give a short description of the issue.
Explain where the case stands
We focus first on the current problem, the latest court order and anything time-sensitive.
Identify the appropriate next step
This might be document review, evidence organisation, court-form support, hearing preparation, McKenzie Friend assistance or referral elsewhere.
Agree the scope before substantive work starts
If JSH Law can assist further, the task, documents required, likely charging basis and any important deadline can be agreed.
You decide whether to proceed
Booking an initial consultation does not require you to instruct JSH Law for further paid work.
What happens after the consultation?
There are usually four possible outcomes
A defined JSH Law task
We agree a specific piece of litigation-support work and what information is needed to complete it.
More documents first
We identify the particular order, report or evidence that needs locating before the issue can sensibly be assessed.
No further work needed yet
Sometimes the sensible answer is to wait for a report, order, hearing or other procedural development.
Referral elsewhere
If the problem requires regulated representation, specialist advocacy, expert evidence or another professional service, I will say so.
Common next steps
What can JSH Law help with after the consultation?
Case Navigation & Strategy
Understand the procedural position, court orders, available next steps and what needs doing first.
Explore →Safeguarding & Cafcass
Review reports, organise safeguarding evidence and prepare focused responses.
Explore →Court Documents
Statements, chronologies, schedules, submissions, appeals groundwork and document review.
Explore →Hearing Support
Preparation, McKenzie Friend assistance, note-taking and post-hearing support.
Explore →Clear from the outset
What JSH Law is — and what it is not
JSH Law provides non-reserved legal services, litigation support and McKenzie Friend assistance to litigants in person.
JSH Law is not an SRA-authorised solicitors’ firm and does not provide regulated solicitor representation or conduct litigation on your behalf. You remain responsible for your proceedings.
The 15-minute consultation is intended to identify your immediate support needs and whether JSH Law is an appropriate service for the work required. A short initial call cannot replace a full review of evidence or documents where the issue requires one.
If your case needs a solicitor, barrister, legal-aid provider, expert or another specialist professional, that will be explained rather than trying to stretch JSH Law beyond the appropriate scope.
Prefer to make contact first?
You can also contact JSH Law directly
Useful if you need to explain the issue briefly or identify a court deadline before booking.
jessica.hill@jshlaw.co.uk →A convenient option for a short initial message about the service you need.
Message JSH Law on WhatsApp →Pricing
Review the current hourly rates and general approach to fixed-fee work before instructing.
View JSH Law Pricing →All services
If you already know what kind of support you need, you can go directly to the relevant service page.
Browse All Services →Urgent safety issues
A consultation booking is not an emergency service
If you or a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
Where there is an urgent safeguarding concern, contact the police, relevant local authority safeguarding service, healthcare service or specialist domestic-abuse service as appropriate.
Court-document preparation or a future consultation should never delay an immediate safety response.
Ready to start?
Bring the immediate problem. We can work out the next step from there.
You do not need to have your whole case organised before contacting JSH Law. Start with where the proceedings are now and what needs your attention next.
Book a 15-Minute Consultation