The Ongoing Coaching Support is a 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.

The OCS service is mainly provided over the phone, through audio and video links, and via email and online cloud. Sometimes, we offer this service in-person in community houses depending on the coaches location and availability. However, we have been assisting hundreds of parents remotley from all regions and it works very well. Thanks for Technology !!

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 or are newly separated or wish to do so in the future. However, the Basic OCS is very limited to telephone calls and doesn’t involve many of the below guidelines: 

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.

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

• Basic Ongoing Coaching Support
  For parents who only require a dedicated 1:1 telephone support, up to 1 hour per month – (Fees by Donation)
• Comprehensive Ongoing Coaching Support
  For parents who require a comprehensive ongoing coaching support services – (Monthly Membership fees)

Decide which package you want from the following:

Start of Proceedings and Ongoing Support Stage

1 – File or Respond to Substantive Applications (Remote)
2 – Comprehensive Ongoing Coaching Support (Remote)

Progressing to Hearing Preparation and Attendance Stage

3 – Pre-hearing Preparation and Training (Remote)
4 – In-Person Support During Court Hearings and Events

Complete and submit the Request Call Back form

One of our coaches will call you back to provide you with more information about the service you require. 

1. The Basic OCS fees is by (Koha / Donation)
2. Other services fees are based on the complexity and nature of your case and your current circumstances.

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.

We 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, except if you want us to attend a hearing with you in-person. We have supported hundreds of parents from all across the regions, doing it this way. 

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.

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.