22/10/2026
WHY DO SEND PARENTS HAVE TO BECOME LAWYERS JUST TO GET THEIR CHILDREN HELP?
I started as a mum saying:
“Something isn’t right. Please help my child.”
Then I learned about:
EHCPs.
Legal tests.
Statutory deadlines.
Evidence.
Tribunals.
Judicial review.
I did training.
I learned SEND law.
I learned how to write letters that were “precise, categorical, polite, not emotive”.
I learned how to build a case.
And eventually I became pretty bloody good at it.
But here’s the ridiculous bit:
I still needed a solicitor.
Because knowing your child’s rights and actually getting a public body to honour them are not always the same thing.
Most parents don’t start this journey wanting to become campaigners, caseworkers or amateur lawyers.
They just want someone to help their child.
A child’s access to support should not depend on how well their parent can learn the law.
