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hi - i hope you guys dont mind but i am actully a mum - but have some questions in regard to family court proceedings involving my friend and his children. their mother deserted them nearly 2 yrs ago and was out of contact for a while . she has been having regular contact for abotu 6 months now . the contact has gone from a day to stays overnight and for a couple of weeks in the holidays. contact between the adults involved has always been strained but has improved lately . this was until my friend recieved a letter from his exs solicitor saying she was filing for custody. the social services were involved up until the friday before the letter arricved - they found no emotional or other abuse and were only involved as she had involved the police.
my friend is a fantastic dad - his kids are his world and he is so scared that he is going to lose them . caffcass have not contacted him as of today and the court case is next friday - can any allay his fears that he is going to lose his kids next week ? any help or advice would be gratefully recieved as i firmly believe that the boys should stay with him - a move would be totally unnecessary and counter productive. he hasa many letters of support for him which have been done completely off the cuff by proffsional people and by friends who are involved with the family - but is this going to be enough ?
Hi helper and welcome
No problem at all with you being a mum on here, there are a few women on here, including one of the moderators 🙂
Firstly, does your friend have a solicitor? If not, then he can give the Children's Legal Centre a call and get some legal advice - there is a link to them at the bottom of this website.
Unless there are welfare issues (genuine ones, not fabricated by his ex) a court is not going to remove the children from the home where they have settled, and 2 years is definitely settled. If she disappeared for 18 months out of their life, a court is not going to consider that she can provide a stable home for them and is certainly not going to have any reason at all for moving the children, and every reason not to move them.
It could well be a long haul I'm afraid - what surprises me is that her solicitor considers she may have any chance at success, though it's possible that he's advise she hasn't and is simply following instructions.
thanks for the advice - the allegations are all fabricated as for as i can see - i spend a lot of time with the family and know how much the boys are loved - i just hope we can stop this before the boys get too confused. her wanting custody seems to be a tool as she is pregnant and needs housing - we are all afriad once she gets them she will neglect them as this was a factor in the split up and the relationship beforehand . the boys are finding things difficult to cope with at the moment but frinds are rallying round and making sure the boys know how much they are loved
x
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