Appeal postponed for extra evidence - Help Needed!

Hi Bis,

Thank you for your reply, I'm glad you think we are doing all we can.
Yes, it is hard trying to keep that balance, so she speaks for herself and also try and keep her from having a 'melt down' from the stress and anxiety it is causing her, all at the same time!

Yes we are intending for her brother to be there to 'hold her hand' so to speak and provide moral support, and hopefully he will have opportunity to address anything she doesn't at the end of the phone call.

Of course this will be dependent on lockdown restrictions as he doesn't live in same household as her. He was able to be present for this last one that was adjourned and that wasn't a problem, so hopefully it will be the same once we get the new date!

Thanks again
Izzy

Hi ET

Don't worry that the panel asked for more evidence - they were confused by the change in tack but the next panel (which will be different from those you already spoke to) will have the advantage of whatever additional evidence you provide, alongside whatever explanation you make for the change in approach. Remember that Judges and panel members are humans and can understand that things change.

One thing to be wary of in terms of preparation - and in how the hearing runs - is that you need to avoid prompting your sister-in-law; coaching and prompting (especially during a hearing) can be serious issues; the Judge will usually give you (if you're there) a chance to correct or add to the evidence but will be unhappy if they think (or know) that you're prompting or coaching her. Its also worth remembering that what she can't remember or gets confused about tells the Tribunal almost as much as what she actually does say.

I am afraid Mr Urquhart is all too right - I got shredded by the judge at our daughter's in-person Tribunal a while ago for opening my mouth at all even when daughter had subsided into complete tears under aggressive questioning and was incapable of speaking for a while. Incidentally I don't know how this plays with phone Tribunals, but since technically courts are public other than family ones or if directed, my husband came and sat in on it in the back row. It was frowned on but allowed, and it made our daughter feel better to have her dad there and know he had heard and seen it all so we did not have to relive it all to tell him. Best wishes, Denby

I had 4 friends in my tribunal