News / Law
Bristol’s top family judge highlights plight of parents fighting for children without legal representation
The number of parents forced to fight for their children in court without legal representation has risen dramatically.
A top judge, who has witnessed the devastating impact this can have in his courtroom, has come up with a unique way of helping families to cope.
In a project thought to be the first of its kind in the UK, Judge Stephen Wildblood writes and acts in plays which mimic a courtroom, allowing parents to prepare for their cases in a stress-free environment.
is needed now More than ever
The project is thought to be the first of its kind in the UK. Photo courtesy of BBC Inside Out West
Speaking in a BBC Inside Out West documentary, Wildblood – the South West’s top family court judge – said that in 80 per cent of cases he presides over, at least one side has to represent themselves.
On a national scale, Ministry of Justice figures show that the number of people in private family law cases who don’t have legal representation increased from 39 per cent in 2011 to 64 per cent in 2017.
Painting a stark picture of the potential consequences, Wildblood says: “A mother got on her hands and knees in court and begged me: ‘please don’t do this, please don’t take my children away’.
“She said that she would end her life if I made the orders. And yeah, I came down to my room and I sat at my desk and I wailed, but if you don’t, if that doesn’t affect you there’s something really wrong with you.
“Of course, when you haven’t got professionals helping you with what the legal issues might be, inevitably it makes it more difficult.”
As the region’s most senior judge, Wildblood often presides over cases that have to be heard behind closed doors for privacy reasons.
Many of Judge Stephen Wildblood’s cases are heard behind closed doors
He recognises the need to make court as accessible as possible for parents, saying that standing in front of a room full of barristers, experts and other professionals can be a tall order for many.
The Law Society is calling for financial aid for early legal advice to be reinstated in a bid to minimise the number of cases having to go to court.
Research conducted for the society by Ipsos MORI shows a clear statistical link between getting early legal advice and resolving problems sooner.
Law Society vice president Christina Blacklaws has said that without early advice, relatively minor legal problems can escalate, creating health, social and financial problems, placing additional pressure and cost on already stretched public services.
BBC Inside Out West is on BBC One on October 15 at 7.30pm. It will be available afterwards on BBC iPlayer.
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