The Ongoing Coaching Support is a comprehensive and supportive one-on-one, continuous, and recurring service designed to assist individuals and families in navigating the challenges of family separation and the Family Court proceedings. This support is provided over the phone, through audio and video links, and via email. An experienced coach will be assigned to guide you through your Court proceedings or separation process. You will be able to reach out to your coach for assistance or guidance on any issues related to your Family Separation process or Family Court case.

The following guidelines are primarily tailored for self-represented litigants in the Family Court. However, some of these guidelines also apply to parents who are newly separated and those who are represented by lawyers.

1. Coaching & Support: We are here to support you throughout your separation journey or your family court case. Our goal is to assist you in making informed decisions and provide guidance during the process.
2. Moral support: At FDSS, we encourage parents to resolve disputes outside of court, prioritizing swift recovery and minimizing harm and parental conflict. Safety concerns about you and your children are an exception.
3. Instructing you on what to do: We do not give explicit instructions but offer suggestions, assist in decision-making, and help you make well-informed choices.
4. Decision-Making Process: We will assist you in your decision-making process by explaining the advantages/disadvantages/implications of decisions and providing relevant case law, legal information, and psychological references.
5. Speaking / Settling on your behalf: We cannot settle on your behalf or speak on your behalf in court hearings without your consent or unless granted permission by a Judge.
6. Legal Information: We can point out publicly available legal information, explain its relevance to your situation, and provide options based on this information. Applying this information in your case is your responsibility.
7. Forms & Templates:

   We can direct you to prescribed forms and templates online relevant to your case.

8. Drafting Documents: Drafting documents is your responsibility. We can review your drafts once completed.

9. Reviewing Documents: We can review your completed forms or documents, suggesting edits or amendments if needed. Acceptance or rejection of suggestions is at your discretion.
10. Revising Documents:

    Revising documents is your responsibility. We can provide information, case law, or psychological references, and you have the authority to accept, reject, delete, or amend any suggested information.

11. Filing & Service:

    We will guide you in filing documents in court according to Family Court rules and how to serve them on other parties.

12. Correspondence Review:

    We can review emails, letters, and communications with other parties and the court registry. You draft letters/emails, and we review them if needed. Communication on your behalf with the court registry and others is done with your consent.

13. Support in Hearings (McKenzie Friend): We can attend court events with you as a McKenzie Friend aka Lay-assistant or Support Person. Please check what a McKenzie Friend can do. (Additional charges may apply) – contact us if required.

14. Court Events: We will explain what to expect during court hearings, conferences, and any court events, along with associated preparations.
15. Being a Witness: We cannot act as a witness in your court case.

• Decide whether you wish to sign up for Comprehensive or Basic support
• Complete and submit the Request Call Back form

Please send us an email to support@fdss.org.nz , if you still have any questions

There are two tiers of the Ongoing Coaching Support OCS services, one is Comprehensive and another is Basic. 

1. The Basic OCS fees is BY (Koha / Donation)
2. The Comprehensive OCS is by (Monthly Subscription fee). 
   You can cancel at anytime. 

Basic Support is aimed at parents who only require 1:1 telephone support for their case, for up to 1 hour per month. It is available if you wish to seek a second opinion or assistance with your decision-making process, legal information, and more. This service does not include reviewing documents. It is essential to keep us updated with the progress of your case.

The Comprehensive Support is aimed for parents who require extensive support which includes reviewing documents, setting up strategy and plans and any of the above tasks listed in the service description and guidelines. 

Ongoing Coaching Support can assist with various parental disputes, including Care Of Children, Guardianship Disputes, Family Violence, and relationship property matters.

This service is offered remotely over the telephone, video and audio platforms and the cloud. We have supported hundreds of parents from all across the regions, doing it this way. 

For parents who are newly separated, making informed decisions early on is crucial for a smoother transition and long-term well-being. Ongoing Coaching Support provides essential guidance to make informed decisions, prevent high parental conflict, and safeguard the well-being of children during this sensitive time.

For Self-represented parents navigating the New Zealand Family Court, Ongoing Coaching Support offers personalised assistance tailored to different stages of court proceedings. This includes legal information, document review, filing assistance, decision-making support, and guidance during online court conferences.

The majority of enquiries we receive come from parents who already have legal representation. We offer specialised knowledge and experience in family separation and court proceedings from a community perspective, which can complement the expertise of your current lawyer. The insights we provide will equip you with additional skills on how to effectively instruct your lawyer and best way to expidite the process and achieve recovery. 

Feel free to read feedback from other parents about the support we offer. We’re happy to provide you with contact details for many parents who have used our services. We take pride in the positive impact we make on our community—it’s truly amazing. The most common feedback we receive from whānau is, ‘I wish I knew about FDSS in the early stages of my separation.'”

No, we are not lawyers or a law firm. We are experienced self-represented parents with over a decade of firsthand experience assisting families in dealing with the Family Court and Family Separation. We have supported thousands of parents from various regions within New Zealand.

You can check out the feedback from parents who have used our services. Any advice or information provided orally, in writing, on our website, or via email is not intended to, nor does it constitute legal advice.

No – none of the services replace a lawyer service or any programs mandated by the Ministry of Justice or the Family Court. 

You can read more about Self-representation on this link – also feel free to contact us, if you have any further questions …. 

Absolutely, anyone has the right to represent themselves in the Family Court without legal representation. The key is understanding how to navigate the process correctly and assessing your capability to do so. This is where services like ours become valuable.

We aim to support parents who choose self-representation in the Family Court by offering guidance, coaching, and assistance throughout the entire process. Our goal is to help you navigate the complexities of the legal system, empowering you to make informed decisions in the best interests of your family, reduce conflict and resolve disputes amicably.

Thorough understanding of the process and extensive support are crucial during this journey. This involves being well-versed in legal procedures, knowing how to present your case effectively, planning, strategy and being prepared for court proceedings, among other many aspects.

We do offer in-person support during court hearings and events. We offer Mckenzie Friend Package. Additional charges apply including travel and accomodation fees, if travel is needed. Talk to us to know more.