How to write your statement

The People's Family Court is a private family-mediation service, not a court of law.

Your statement is how the mediator understands your situation before you meet. Write it in your own words — calm, honest, child-focused. The mediator reads both statements; both are shared simultaneously, so write knowing your co-parent will read it.

Structure (about 800–1,200 words total)

1. About our family — children, ages, current living and contact pattern (~150 words).
2. What is working — start positive; it protects tone (~100 words).
3. What is causing problems — specifics: what happened, when, effect on the children. No insults, no unevidenced claims. Anything about harm that must stay confidential goes in the separate safeguarding box, not here (~300 words).
4. What the children need — routine, school, feelings as you observe them (~200 words).
5. What I would like the mediator to do — concrete outcomes, ranked (~150 words).

Rules that keep statements fair

• Factual and dated where possible; focus on the children.
• Reference evidence by page; upload it separately — both sides see the full bundle.
• Flagged drafts get a gentle rewrite prompt; repeated abuse routes to admin.

Deadlines

Due 5 days before the hearing. Late statements may mean the mediator proceeds on one statement (noted in the minutes) or admin reschedules under the fee rules. Both statements release simultaneously 4 days before; versions then lock — amendments go through admin at the contact details in your case emails and are re-shared.

Case your case reference · the contact details in your case emails