Court Claim Form received - advice please.

nosferatu1001

Original to CCBC, copy to C, no need for a cover note.

Coupon-mad

Let us know when your case gets allocated to your local court and you get the letter stating the hearing date and the date by which you MUST file your WS and evidence.

Don't pop back the day before the hearing, having filed no WS/evidence!

cosmic4z

Thanks Coupon-mad,

It's been allocated to our local court. We have not received a hearing date though.

Is there anything I should be doing in the meantime?

KeithP

cosmic4z wrote: »

Is there anything I should be doing in the meantime?

As already mentioned, you should be thinking about your Witness Statement and gathering evidence.

Coupon-mad

Read the NEWBIES thread post #2 again and click on the examples of WS/evidence, to get ready.

cosmic4z

This is the first time I've had to do anything like this, and as I've said before, I am completely overwhelmed and stressed by it all. I estimate I've sunk at least 50 hours in to this already (not to mention lost sleep), I know that may sound like a lot, but this is just not the kind of thing I have a natural affinity for.

I just wanted some help dealing with this; but the amount and type of work required, it's a bit like learning a complete new foreign language. I also have a lot of other things stressing and pulling at my attention.

I honestly don't think I have the right stuff to help my mom with this. She's unable to use the internet herself, and in any case would be more incompetent than I am to prepare a defence.

Can you please refer me where I can point her to to get help? I did try some other site a month or so back, but they wouldn't help because there was an active thread on the matter here.

Coupon-mad

See my post above, tells you where to find easy examples of WS. You CAN do this!

You tried the BMPA and they told you to stay here (I know that because the person who runs it, told me!). You are getting all the advice you need here, take a look at where I told you to look!

The WS is easy peasy, just a statement of what happened, 'I did this, then this happened'. Think about what evidence she wants to show (photos? case transcripts that were mentioned in the defence?).

Redx

you or she wont get better help than on here and the people replying know more about the topic than any place like the CAB or a "standard" solicitor , plus that BMPA person also posts on here too

I think you are expecting far too much for free, the people replying are volunteers giving up their time and overwhelmed by the sheer number of threads about court cases etc

nobody will do it for you and although you could try legal beagles or pepipoo forums you will likely find a few of the same people responding anyway

read my signature, MSE is not a legal advice forum, but the people here do their best to advise people like yourself or your relative , but charity starts at home and somebody like a friend or family member needs to step up here and do what they are being advised by the goodwill volunteers on here who do so for free

nobody would do this on a paid basis as it would cost far too much if you totted up the hours worked and even got £7.80p per hour for them, tot up your own hours and see that it is not economic for you , never mind anyone else

it takes as long as it takes and some prisoners (and/or their relatives or friends) have worked on their own cases free of charge for years when appealing etc

so either you or someone near to the defendant needs to step up and take onboard what has been said , especially when people like coupon mad have taken the time to digest the story and reply

your mom did it for you and wiped your backside and cooked , cleaned , washed and ironed etc for you when you were younger, nobody trained her either but I bet she did a good job and its up to you or somebody similar to step up and return the favour, especially as she put YEARS into getting you to where you are now with many hardships along the way

ps:- you have already had free legal advice from a qualified solicitor (LOC123) and she had to learn fast about this topic and so her advice was invaluable and will always be so (you wont find many solicitors that understand this topic and they charge a lot for their services too, whether they do or dont know about this topic)

cosmic4z

Please do not confuse my frustration, with a lack of appreciation for all the help, expertise and advice I've been given so far. I know I must sound ungrateful, and I'm sorry if I give that impression, but it is not the case. I am most appreciative for all the helpful advice and encouragement I've received on this forum. Thank you.

For what it's worth, I believe my frustration is largely due to my not really grasping the fundamentals of the law, and legal processes involved in these cases. It's like playing chess without understanding how the pieces move, or the strategies involved; but just blindy repeating moves at someone else's instruction. Fine while the person instructing you is present, but once they're gone, you're on your own, and you're in trouble (because you have no understanding of what you're actually doing and why).

That's how I feel, overwhelmed, confused and unclear how to progress. I do want to progress though. I want to get through this thing, knowing I've given it my best shot.

Trying to stay calm and focus on what needs doing; the witness statement and evidence. I found the relevant part of post #2 in the newbies thread. I'll read through that, and the examples given, a few times, and do my best with it.

Thank you all for your patience.

Coupon-mad

Trying to stay calm and focus on what needs doing; the witness statement and evidence. I found the relevant part of post #2 in the newbies thread. I'll read through that, and the examples given, a few times, and do my best with it.

Good, honestly you can do this bit:

- the story of what happened and what letters were received and why you are not liable

plus

- all the photos you want to use, and case law and transcripts, and the POFA Schedule 4, and Henry Greenslade's words about 'understanding keeper liability' from the POPLA Annual report 2015, and the Equality Act EHRC CoP for Service Providers *where it makes it clear about 'indirect discrimination' not having a defence of the trader not knowing about an individual's disability. Not that the driver of the car has ever been established, but you were an occupant of the car!

This is your argument to prove with evidence, so go back over your defence and stop every time the defence cites some case law or evidence, and go and get that as an attachment, so you have a series of evidence pieces.



* Google it, go and download it!