My story
I'd like to share a few words about why I'm so passionate about helping others through the family and civil court process — in the hope of reducing the fear and anxiety it can bring.
In 1987 I fled domestic abuse — at a time when it wasn't recognised and wasn't even an offence. There was no helpline to call and no one to turn to. I remember how frightened, lonely and hopeless I felt. I believed I was trapped, with no way out. I was only 24, brought to the UK by my abuser, with no family nearby, isolated and completely dependent on him. He always told me that if I ever left, he would find me. My confidence and self-esteem had been stripped away — I was a shell of myself.
My estranged father wrote to me out of the blue, and gave me and my children — then under the age of three — the chance to leave and start a new life in Oxfordshire. For that I am forever grateful.
My own experience of family court
My abuser applied for contact with the children. I hadn't heard from him for over a year, but now I was expected to go to court, sit in the same waiting room as him, and explain why I didn't believe it was safe for him to see them. I was unrepresented and felt completely alone and overwhelmed. I remember shaking, unable to speak — I knew what I wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. I needed someone beside me: someone to understand, to tell me it was going to be alright, that my fears were real and I was believed.
Life after abuse
I've worked hard to rebuild my life, and I want other survivors to know there is hope beyond abuse. Today I'm on the other side of that journey — I've regained my confidence and found my voice again. I am living proof that there is life beyond abuse. My story doesn't define me.
I am now the person I so badly needed all those years ago. Combining my lived experience with my professional experience, I can offer practical guidance and genuine, non-judgemental support — before, during and after court. You'll always be listened to, never judged and never rushed.
You are no longer alone. You are in safe hands.