However you may think the court should manage your case, the Judge will do it the same way they always have. You will have an opportunity to speak, but the Judge has time limits and must get through their caseload. They will not give you a lot of leeway in trying to explain your often complex story
Your case is individual to you. You know what will work as you know your child, you know the circumstances, and you know what is best for everyone. The problem is that your ex thinks they know the perfect solution and it will not match yours, otherwise you wouldnt be in court.
Trying to explain what your application is about in a short time, without interuption, without forgetting key facts in the heat of the moment is a tall order.
A Position Statement allows you to write it all down, think about it, get others to check your story and also check the impact it will make on the court, remind you of things you have overlooked, and generally get your 'story' across to the Judge in the easiest, logical, clear and unambiguous way.
The Position Statement has an important job to do and if you do nothing else, write a Position Statement
This guide talks you through writing a Position Statement, the rules the court have, which rules to follow and which you can safely ignore, and provides you with a sample and a template to use for your own case.