The saga continues but it's all cool 🙂
The ex phoned today and said she would like to spend the weekend with her and my sd and said have my daughter 10am tomorrow till 6pm sun as I've only had one overnight with her so both girls fri-sun is a bit to much too soon which I agreed with so atleast we are reading from the same page for a change.
Gonna take my girl to meet members of family she hasn't met yet tomorrow so alls good 🙂
baby steps Nanny Jane baby steps lol 😉
too right it's a massive leap forward overall my ex is now completely back to normal picked my daughter up this morning and we've done a 200 mile round trip to see friends and family she's never met, had a fantastic day 🙂
Had yet another brilliant weekend with my girl 🙂
Unfortunately I never had my step daughter as well but it's defo on the cards, Little one's really getting used to my house now and she was a lot more comfortable sleeping over the ex said I could have her until late yesterday evening which was cool so I had her from 10am sat until 8pm last night so we have sort of managed to sort arrangements out exactly as the court suggested in the final hearing 🙂
Ultimately the courts want nothing more than the parents actually to be seen as working together and I found they do really promote that towards the end of court proceedings and looking back I do have respect for the judges in the way they handled my case, if you are going through the courts at the mo I'd defo try and find someway of breaking the ice with the ex I know it might be difficult as there's so much hostility but it's defo worth a try as it will make things easier in the next hearing.
Obviously it is an absolute nightmare going through the family court if you're a father but the hard work really does start at the final hearing you do realise that you have to build bridges and work with the ex to bring up your child especially if they are young, I've actually found it pretty easy getting used to actually being a father it's actually dealing with the ex again that's been the hard part although I am impressed in the way I've took a different approach when dealing with her I thing compromise is key.
I think think the ex has been building up the trust in me too which is another factor and obviously she's seen I turned up to absolutely every session at the contact centre then ever supervised contact at her sisters she was worried when I took our girl to see my family as she though I wouldn't bring her back [censored]?
I also think I was expecting too much with regards to actual the amount of time I had my girl in reality work, home, relationships do get in the way of things as things stand it looks like I have my girl 10 am sat - 5pm sun every week and I'm pretty happy with that a week still is a long time and I miss my girl bad mid week I don't really want to go to every other weekend fri - sun, we've sorted out holidays special occasions ect so I'm happy with the way the cookie is crumpling at the mo and I'm sure I'll have my girl a lot more in the future especially when she gets older.
Slim
Slim,
I'm really glad that things are working out for you and the girls. At one point you were really despondent about things, even after the final hearing, but we had chats and really believed you could be in this situation if you handled things right. So I'm very pleased for you that things turned out how you hoped and the situation for you has calmed down. Good all round for everyone.
I have my first overnight stay with my son since my ex took him away back in august 2013, so around 18 months ago; to say I am excitedabout this weekend is an understatement!
Continued good fortune for the future Mr Slim 🙂
Simon.
Nice one Simon the final hearing was an anticlimax really for me and the ex was still being a nightmare yeah man it's ace having overnights you feel like you have achieved what you set out to do the sense of accomplishment is awesome 🙂
Congratulations Slim, so nice to hear, proves your dedication and shows how any of us can fight for our childrens rights and get what they deserve (albeit not all straight away). Chuffed for you fella, thanks for the posts which I have read and will continue to follow as second time in court is due next month. Off to watch Panorama: DIY Justice. Congrats again 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Yeah it'a defo a case of sticking in there and never giving in knowing the law and getting the right advice just watched that panorama that bloke must of got advice from this site he he was very clued up and had the right approach 🙂