Terms
A legal disclaimer
These Terms & Conditions explain the basis upon which MyDispute provides its services.
Please read them carefully before asking MyDispute to undertake paid work. By instructing MyDispute to provide services, you agree to these Terms & Conditions together with any written quotation, scope of work or other terms agreed with you.
1. About MyDispute
MyDispute provides practical support to individuals dealing with family disputes and Family Court proceedings in England and Wales.
Services may include support with:
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child arrangements;
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Family Court applications;
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case preparation;
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statements, chronologies and supporting documents;
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organising evidence and case papers;
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communication and correspondence;
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CAFCASS involvement;
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preparation for court hearings; and
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McKenzie Friend support where appropriate.
The precise support provided will depend upon your circumstances and what has been agreed with you.
2. MyDispute Is Not a Firm of Solicitors
MyDispute is not a firm of solicitors and is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. MyDispute does not provide reserved legal services or regulated legal representation.Our role is to provide practical information, assistance and support to people dealing with family disputes and Family Court proceedings.
Where your circumstances require regulated legal advice or representation, you may be advised to obtain assistance from an appropriately qualified solicitor, barrister or other authorised legal professional. Using MyDispute does not create a solicitor-client relationship.
3. The Free Initial Call
MyDispute offers a free initial 30-minute call.
The purpose of the call is to understand your circumstances, discuss the type of support you may require and explain how MyDispute may be able to assist.
There is no obligation to purchase services following the call.
The initial call is not intended to provide comprehensive advice or detailed case preparation. Where further work is appropriate, the proposed work and applicable fee will be explained before you are asked to proceed.
4. Agreeing Work With You
Before paid work begins, we will normally agree with you what MyDispute has been asked to do and the applicable fee or basis upon which the fee will be calculated.
The scope of work may be confirmed by email, quotation, invoice or other written communication.
Additional work that falls outside the agreed scope may result in an additional charge. Where reasonably practicable, this will be discussed and agreed with you before additional chargeable work is undertaken.
You are under no obligation to purchase additional services.
5. Fees and Payment
Fees will be explained before chargeable work is undertaken.
Depending upon the service required, work may be charged at a fixed price, an agreed rate or another basis specifically agreed with you.
Any applicable payment arrangements will be confirmed before work begins.
Unless otherwise agreed, MyDispute may require payment before commencing work.
If circumstances change significantly or you request work outside the original scope, we will discuss any additional charges with you before proceeding.
6. Your Right to Cancel
Where you enter into a contract with MyDispute remotely, including online or by telephone, you may have a legal right to cancel the contract within 14 days without giving a reason.
The cancellation period will normally begin on the day after the contract is entered into. You can tell us that you wish to cancel by emailing:
You do not need to use any particular wording, provided that you clearly tell us that you wish to cancel.Where required by law, details of your cancellation rights and any applicable cancellation form will also be provided to you when you enter into the contract.Nothing in these Terms & Conditions affects your statutory rights.
7. Starting Work During the Cancellation Period
Family Court matters can sometimes be urgent and you may want MyDispute to begin work before the 14-day cancellation period has expired.
Where applicable, we will ask you to expressly request that work begins during the cancellation period. If you subsequently cancel after expressly requesting that work starts during that period, you may be required to pay a reasonable amount for services already supplied up to the time you tell us that you wish to cancel.
Where you expressly request that a service is fully performed during the cancellation period, you may lose your statutory right to cancel once that service has been completely performed, where the applicable legal requirements have been satisfied.
We will not treat these Terms alone as your request for work to begin early where the law requires a separate express request.
This section is particularly important. Current government guidance specifically addresses unregulated legal-service providers and says that services during the cooling-off period require the consumer's written request; completion during that period can affect the cancellation right where the necessary acknowledgement has been obtained.
8. Cancellation After Work Has Begun
Outside any statutory cancellation rights, you may tell us at any time that you no longer want MyDispute to continue providing an ongoing service.
You will remain responsible for fees properly due for work already completed or supplied in accordance with what was agreed with you.Where you have paid in advance for work that has not been undertaken, any appropriate refund will take account of the work already completed and your statutory rights.
9. Information You Provide
The quality and usefulness of the support we provide depends upon the information available to us.You agree to take reasonable steps to provide information and documents that are accurate, complete and relevant to the work you have asked us to undertake.
You should tell us promptly if:
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information previously supplied was incorrect;
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your circumstances change;
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you receive new court documents;
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a hearing or deadline changes; or
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another development occurs that may materially affect the work we are undertaking.
MyDispute is not responsible for consequences arising from materially inaccurate, incomplete or withheld information where we could not reasonably have known that the information was inaccurate or incomplete.
10. Court Deadlines and Urgent Work
You remain responsible for complying with court orders, directions, filing requirements and deadlines relating to your case.
MyDispute may assist you in understanding and preparing for practical steps and deadlines, but responsibility for ensuring that documents are filed, served or submitted correctly and on time remains with you unless we have expressly agreed to undertake a particular administrative task that we are lawfully permitted to perform.
If you contact us shortly before a deadline or hearing, we cannot guarantee that we will have sufficient time or availability to undertake the requested work.
You should therefore contact us as early as reasonably possible where a deadline or hearing date is known.
11. Applications, Statements and Case Documents
MyDispute may assist with the preparation and organisation of applications, statements, chronologies and other case materials.
You remain responsible for reviewing and approving documents before they are submitted or relied upon.
Where a document is to be signed or verified by you, you are responsible for ensuring that you are satisfied that its contents are accurate and truthful before doing so. MyDispute will not knowingly fabricate evidence, create false information, alter evidence misleadingly or assist a client in misleading the court or another person.
12. Evidence
We may help you organise documents, messages, correspondence and other material that you consider relevant to your case.
We cannot guarantee that a court will admit, accept or attach any particular weight to material you wish to rely upon. Decisions concerning admissibility, relevance, weight and the determination of disputed facts are matters for the court.
13. CAFCASS
MyDispute may provide practical support in preparing for involvement with the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), including helping you organise relevant information and understand the practical process.
MyDispute is independent of CAFCASS and cannot influence or guarantee the content of any safeguarding letter, report, assessment or recommendation.
Any decision ultimately made by the court remains a matter for the court.
14. McKenzie Friend Support
Where agreed and appropriate, MyDispute may provide McKenzie Friend support to a litigant in person.A McKenzie Friend does not become your legal representative.
A McKenzie Friend may ordinarily provide reasonable assistance such as moral support, taking notes, helping with case papers and quietly providing assistance during proceedings.
A McKenzie Friend does not have an automatic right to address the court, examine witnesses, act as your agent or conduct litigation on your behalf.
The court retains control over proceedings and may determine whether and to what extent McKenzie Friend assistance is permitted in a particular case.
Where rights of audience or another permission would be required, that permission is a matter for the court and cannot be guaranteed by MyDispute.
That reflects the Judiciary's current published Practice Guidance: a litigant remains a litigant in person; a McKenzie Friend has no independent right to provide assistance, no automatic right of audience and no right to conduct litigation.
15. Court Attendance
Where MyDispute agrees to provide in-person court support, this will be subject to availability, location and the circumstances of the hearing.
Any fee, travel expenses or other costs associated with attendance will be agreed with you in advance.
Court hearings may be changed, adjourned, cancelled or moved at short notice. Where this occurs, we will discuss with you the practical implications for any booked attendance and any costs already reasonably incurred.
16. No Guarantee of Outcome
Family disputes and court proceedings involve matters outside MyDispute's control.
We cannot guarantee:
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that an application will succeed;
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that another party will agree to a proposal;
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that CAFCASS will make a particular recommendation;
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that evidence will be accepted or given particular weight;
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that a court will make a particular order;
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that a hearing will proceed as expected; or
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any other particular outcome.
Any assessment or discussion about possible options or outcomes should not be understood as a guarantee.
17. Your Decisions Remain Your Own
You remain responsible for decisions concerning your case, including whether to commence proceedings, make or accept proposals, submit documents, pursue a particular position or obtain regulated legal advice.
MyDispute can provide practical assistance and help you prepare, but we do not take control of your case or make decisions on your behalf.
18. Communication
Our normal method of communication may include email, telephone or other methods agreed with you.We aim to respond to communications within a reasonable period, but response times may vary depending upon workload, complexity and urgency.Unless specifically agreed, MyDispute does not provide a 24-hour emergency response service.You are responsible for providing accurate contact information and for checking communications sent to the contact details you have supplied.
19. Safeguarding and Emergencies
MyDispute is not an emergency service.
If you or another person is in immediate danger, you should contact the emergency services or another appropriate authority.Where your circumstances involve safeguarding concerns, domestic abuse or another issue requiring specialist or urgent assistance, we may recommend that you seek support from an appropriate organisation or regulated legal professional.Nothing in our services should delay you from seeking urgent assistance where it is required.
20. Confidentiality and Family Court Information
We recognise that family disputes and Family Court proceedings involve highly personal information.Information supplied to MyDispute will be handled with appropriate confidentiality and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
However, communications with MyDispute do not create a solicitor-client relationship and should not be assumed to attract legal professional privilege.
Family Court proceedings may also be subject to restrictions concerning the disclosure or publication of information.You remain responsible for ensuring that documents and information you provide to us may lawfully be shared with us for the purpose of obtaining assistance.If you are uncertain about whether information may lawfully be disclosed, you should obtain appropriate legal advice.
21. Data Protection
Personal information is processed in accordance with the MyDispute Privacy Policy.
The Privacy Policy explains the types of information we may collect, why it is processed, how it may be stored or shared and your data protection rights.
22. Intellectual Property and Documents We Prepare
Unless otherwise agreed, MyDispute retains ownership of its underlying templates, methods, guidance materials and other pre-existing intellectual property.
Once you have paid the applicable fee, you may use documents specifically prepared for you for the purposes of your own dispute or proceedings.
You must not sell, commercially distribute or represent MyDispute templates or materials as your own products without permission.Nothing in this section prevents you from using your own case documents for the purposes for which they were prepared.
23. Ending Our Services
You may ask us to stop providing an ongoing service at any time, subject to payment for work properly undertaken and your statutory cancellation rights.
MyDispute may also cease providing services where there is a reasonable and substantial reason to do so, including where:
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required information is repeatedly not provided;
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agreed fees remain unpaid;
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we are asked to act unlawfully or improperly;
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we are knowingly provided with false or misleading information;
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continuing would create a conflict of interest;
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behaviour towards MyDispute is abusive, threatening or seriously inappropriate; or
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continuing the work would place MyDispute in breach of a legal or professional restriction.
Where reasonably practicable, we will tell you that the service is ending and explain any outstanding practical matters.
24. Liability
MyDispute will provide agreed services with reasonable care and skill.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability that cannot legally be excluded under consumer protection law.MyDispute is not responsible for losses caused solely by matters outside our reasonable control, by inaccurate or materially incomplete information supplied to us, or by decisions made independently by a court, CAFCASS, another party or another organisation.Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer.
25. Complaints
We want clients to raise concerns with us if they are dissatisfied with the service they have received.In the first instance, please contact:support@mydispute.co.uk
Please explain the nature of your concern and, where possible, what you would like us to consider.We will review the matter and aim to provide a substantive response within a reasonable period.As MyDispute is not a firm of solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, complaints about MyDispute are not dealt with through the SRA's complaints procedure merely because the service relates to a Family Court matter.This does not affect any statutory or consumer rights you may have.
26. Changes to These Terms
We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time to reflect changes to our services, business practices or applicable requirements.The version that applies to a particular instruction will normally be the version in force when you enter into the relevant agreement with MyDispute, unless a change is required by law or is expressly agreed with you.The current version will be published on our website.
27. Severability
If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the extent permitted by law.
28. Governing Law
These Terms & Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Nothing in these Terms deprives a consumer of any mandatory rights or protections concerning where legal proceedings may be brought.
29. Contact
If you have questions about these Terms & Conditions or the services provided by MyDispute, please contact:MyDispute Email: support@mydispute.co.uk