- Payments: All payments are strictly non-refundable. As a small team, we can only be instructed on a limited number of cases at any one time. This means that if we accept an instruction, we will decline other cases where other people are also seeking assistance. In addition to this we will have incurred administration costs opening your case file; allocating you a caseworker; engaging in communications with you; incurring banking costs via our payment system etc. In the event a caseworker (or advocate) has been booked and the agreement is cancelled or terminated, no refunds will be applicable.
- Instructions: Continued instructions in this matter will be deemed as acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
- Help Plan Fees: Help Plan 1) Telephone Consultation is on a fixed-fee basis between 30-60 minutes (for more details see Point 4); Help Plan 2) Case Assessment is on a fixed-fee basis for a maximum of 30 days; Help Plan 3) Case Management is on a fixed-fee basis for a maximum of 6 months duration or up to the first/next hearing (including gatekeeping hearings), whichever comes first; Help Plan 3) Plus for court support is quoted on a case by case basis for one days attendance at court only. Only available as part of a Plan 3) package; Once the work is completed on your Help Plan, your case will be closed unless you seek additional ongoing support which is subject to availability. Each Help Plan is as advertised and is entirely separate. As such the costs from one Help Plan cannot be deducted from the cost of another Plan.
- Telephone Consultations, Appointments & Cancellations: All bookings are made on a first come, first served basis, subject to availability, court hearings etc. We allow 7 working days to arrange a Telephone Consultation. All Telephone Consultations are between 30 – 60 minutes, on a one-on-one basis, with the party concerned and are confidential. We will not speak to third parties about an individual’s case for confidentiality reasons unless there are exceptional circumstances. We allow a maximum of 3 attempts to contact you using the telephone number provided on your booking form. We allow one Telephone Consultation per case. Please ensure you include your first name and surname in ALL email headings so we can locate your booking. It is important you have a good telephone signal for our call and are in a quiet location, not driving, and have a pen and paper so you can make notes. We do not send notes after a call, so it is your responsibility to take notes during the call. If you would like us to review paperwork before a call, you will need to book a Case Assessment instead of a Telephone Consultation via our web site. If you would like us to manage your case, you will need to book Plan 3) Case Management via our web site. We require 24 hrs notice if you wish to reschedule an appointment or a cancellation fee of 100% will apply. As per point 1) All payments are strictly non-refundable.
- Office Hours: Our office hours are 10.00am – 4.00pm Monday to Friday, except in emergency cases. As F4J are in court every day, you should allow 3-5 working days for an email response to general enquiries. Work outside of these hours will incur an additional fee of £200 an hour i.e. for emergency cases that involve out of hours working, weekend working, working over Bank Holidays, Christmas etc.
- Communications: All communications should be via the casework team email at [email protected] in the first instance. Please check your email settings, and junk/spam emails to ensure you do not miss email correspondence from us. Other forms of communication by social media, text, WhatsApp etc are not appropriate methods of communication and will not be responded to.
- Support & Assistance: As a Litigant In Person (LIP) you are representing yourself with our support. As such you should not mention F4J, your caseworker, or share our contact details with any third parties without our prior written consent. F4J provides support and assistance to individuals in the United Kingdom on matters within our area of specific focus and experience (essentially, securing equal parenting rights for both parents and facilitating continuing relationships with children despite family break-ups). We will use our best efforts to guide and support you in pursuing your case in the family courts and in establishing your legal rights. We are unable to provide support to individuals outside the UK, unless the case is in the courts of England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.
- Disclosure: It is important that you give us full and frank information about your case. We disclaim any responsibility for providing assistance on the basis of inaccurate or incomplete information. We reserve the right where we have been significantly misled on any matter of importance to stop advising you immediately and terminate the agreement.
- Responsibilities: As a Litigant In Person, you are responsible for managing your court forms, statements, trial bundles, correspondence with solicitors, complying with court orders and representing yourself in court. We recommend you do not say you are receiving third-party assistance (including from F4J). F4J can provide help with documentation and assist with preparation for court hearings, but responsibility for conduct of the case generally remains with you. F4J can provide McKenzie Friends to assist you in court (who we call ‘Advocates’) but they do not have automatic rights of audience, and will not be able to represent you in court unless there are grounds for this, and the correct application is made to the court. We are not responsible for decisions made by you, the court, or other parties.
- Solicitors: We cannot be instructed on cases where solicitors (barristers, or other third-parties) have been instructed as they may be listed on the court record as acting for you. If you use a solicitor, this means you are legally represented and cannot act as a Litigant in Person. Our advice may also be different to that provided by a solicitor, and could cause confusion in your case. If solicitors are involved or instructed in your case we reserve the right to terminate the agreement.
- Termination: All case files are automatically closed within 30 days of your account balance being sent to you. If you stop responding to our emails, communications, or providing information we have requested, or fail to update us on your case for a period of 30 days or over, your case will be closed and the contract terminated. We reserve the right to terminate the contract in the event you do not follow the advice provided. We reserve the right to terminate the agreement in the event solicitors, barristers, or other third-parties are instructed in your case. We reserve the right where we have been significantly misled on any matter of importance, or there is a breach of confidentiality and the sharing of confidential communications between you and F4J, to terminate the contract. We reserve the right to terminate the contract with immediate effect in the event false claims are made about Fathers4Justice or our staff are subject to personal attacks or abuse. We reserve the right to terminate the contract in the event you ask our team to act unethically, inappropriately, or unlawfully, or in a way that would cause us professional embarrassment, or you ask them to work directly for you on your case outside of this contract. In these cases we reserve the right to invoice you for any costs accrued to that point. Either party may also terminate the arrangement giving 24-hours notice, though be aware of cost consequences, see points 1. and 3.
- Complaints: If you have a complaint, this must be raised with F4J at the earliest opportunity (no later than 14 working days from the date of dispute) and we must be allowed to investigate and respond in line with the contractual obligations of this agreement. Any complaint will be responded to within 28 working days from the date of dispute. Contesting or disagreeing with the advice provided as part of this contract does not constitute grounds for a complaint. We reserve the right to suspend work on your case in the event your complaint is about your caseworker and it would be inappropriate for them to continue working on your case.
- Privacy: In providing support and counselling services to you we may need to hold and refer to information about you and your case. You can contact us to ask for a copy of F4J’s privacy policy.
- Liability: Our liability to you in providing services for breach of contract, tort, breach of statutory duty or otherwise shall, and so far as permitted by law, be limited to the total amount of fees paid by you under the arrangements with us to provide you with services.
