Position statements that work in family court
A position statement is your short, written summary for a directions or interim hearing: what you want from this hearing, your response to the other side's position, and your proposal. Judges read it (often on the day); some now require them. It is the highest-value document per hour of effort that a self-representing father can produce.
The rules
- One to two pages. Maximum. A judge with 14 cases listed will not read six pages. Density persuades; volume annoys.
- Open with the ask First line: "At today's hearing I seek an order for interim contact: alternate weekends from Saturday 15th, handovers at [venue], plus midweek video calls Wed/Sun 18:00." Everything after serves that.
- Then the three strongest facts Not your whole case — the three facts that make your proposal obviously sensible, each with an exhibit reference (from your chronology).
- Then the response One short paragraph answering the other side's stated position: "The applicant proposes supervised contact indefinitely. [NACCC centre] assessment reports no risk findings (C22); Cafcass letter raises none (C23)."
- End with fallbacks Show you can move: "If the court prefers supported centre contact first, I propose [named centre], and will meet the cost." Flexibility framed as child-focus is not weakness; rigidity reads as case-about-you.
Copy this skeleton
| Section | Content | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | Case name/number, hearing date, 'Position statement of [name] (respondent)' | 1 line |
| The ask | The order(s) you seek today, specific and dated | 2–4 lines |
| Key facts | Three facts with exhibits | 6–9 lines |
| Response | Answer to the other side's position | 4–6 lines |
| Proposal & fallback | Primary proposal + what you'll accept | 2–4 lines |
| Statement of truth | Signed and dated | 1 line |
Tone calibration: write every sentence, then delete every adjective. "She has repeatedly and spitefully refused" becomes "Contact was refused on 3, 17, 24 April (C7–C9)". The dates convict; the adjectives acquit the other side.
Before your hearing
Turning scattered messages, notes and dates into evidence takes structure. apply this guide to your own documents — EvidenceCanvas is a guided toolkit that helps you draft a child-focused witness statement, answer a Scott Schedule point by point, and assemble a paginated court bundle. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.