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Still Their Dad

Writing a position statement

Going to court can feel daunting, especially without a lawyer. A position statement is one of the simplest things that makes it easier: a short note that tells the judge who you are and what you are asking for, before you have to say a word out loud.

What a position statement is (and isn’t)

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A position statement is a short written summary of your position for one specific hearing, usually one or two sides of A4. You can write one for every hearing you attend.

The key thing to understand: it is not your evidence. It is your position, what you want and why, in plain terms. Anything you need to prove (what happened, with documents or detail) goes in a separate witness statement, which you file when the court directs it. Keep the two separate. Judges notice when a position statement turns into a long account of everything the other parent has done.

Writing one is usually voluntary, but sometimes the court will direct you to file one. If so, follow the deadline on the order.

What to put in it

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Keep it short, numbered, and child-focused. A simple structure:

  • A heading with the case number, the court, both parents’ names, and the date and time of the hearing, so it reaches the right judge.
  • A title that names the hearing, for example “Position statement of the Applicant, [your name], for the hearing on [date]”.
  • Who you are: “I am the applicant father; [child], aged 6, is our daughter.”
  • The background, or what has changed: briefly, what brought this to court, or what has happened since the last hearing.
  • Where things stand now: how the current arrangements are going, kept short and factual.
  • What you want the court to do at this hearing: any directions you are asking for, for example permission to file a statement.
  • What outcome you want: precise and realistic, for example “that the children live with their mum and spend alternate weekends and half the holidays with me”.
  • Sign and date it.

Keep it calm and about the children

Section titled “Keep it calm and about the children”

The court decides everything by one test: what is best for the children (the welfare checklist in the Children Act 1989). So a good position statement reads like it was written with the children in mind, not as a list of complaints about the other parent. Short, factual and steady does far more good in front of a judge than angry and exhaustive. You do not have to cram everything in, the judge will ask you to expand on anything they want to hear more about.

How and when to send it

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  • Get it to the court and the other parent by at least 11am the day before the hearing. Most courts have a family email address on their website, put your name and the case number in the subject line.
  • Take spare copies to court for the judge, the other parent, and the Cafcass officer.
  • Keep a copy in front of you at the hearing, so you can glance at it if you lose your thread.

A short example

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In the Family Court sitting at [court]. Case number: [number].

Position statement of the Applicant, [name], for the hearing on [date].

I am the applicant and [child]‘s father. My position for this hearing is as follows:

  1. [child] has lived mainly with her mother since we separated in [month]. Until [date] she spent every other weekend with me, and this worked well for her.
  2. Since [date] those weekends have stopped. I have tried to sort this out directly and suggested mediation, which is why I have applied to court.
  3. I am not asking to change where [child] lives. I am asking the court to help restore regular time between [child] and me.
  4. I would ask the court for an order setting out alternate weekends from after school on Friday to Sunday evening, half of the school holidays, and a short midweek video call.

Calm, short, child-focused, and it does not try to prove anything. That comes later, in a witness statement, if the court asks for it.

Download the template

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A fill-in version of the structure above, with prompts in [square brackets] to replace:

It pairs with our court order templates and the representing yourself guide.

Where to get real help

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Last reviewed: 23 June 2026. Court processes and forms change, so check the official links above before you rely on anything here.