Drafting Effective Statements in Private Children Proceedings

Introduction

Drafting excellent effective narrative statements in private children proceedings is an essential skill. The statement is your client’s evidence in chief upon which he or she may be cross-examined. The judge will make assessments about your client’s credibility based on their evidence, written or oral.

The factual matrix established by the court will then inform any welfare reports, and experts instructed in proceedings.

The move away from Scott Schedules to narrative statements and more detailed schedules of allegations elevates the importance of statement writing. In cases of alleged abuse, and in relocation applications the statement is pivotal to outcome.

Statements often need to be drafted under time pressure and this webinar will focus on the best way to approach information gathering and marshalling the evidence in a cost effective manner.

Statements should communicate your client’s tone of voice and the essence of their case.

By viewing this webinar your statement drafting should be elevated to a level that is more accessible to busy judges.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• How to structure a good witness statement
• Effective and efficient planning before commencing drafting
• Planning for cross x
• Vulnerable witnesses
• How to communicate the voice of the witness

This webinar was recorded on 16th November 2023

You can gain access to this webinar and 1,700+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email [email protected] for more details.