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Hi there,
I am due in court next Thursday for my 1st hearing. I have always wanted to represent myself due to the fact I don't think anyone else can convey the amount of love I have for my daughter. Cafcass called last night and my ex has said that I am a frequent drug user and borderline alcoholic. All lies, I dabbled in drugs years ago and now drink once a week. She has also stated that I am erratic and could be a danger to my daughter. I was arrested for dv in march this year, once the trial date was set my ex never turned up and the case was discontinued. Cafcass have also brought up my past, I had quite a number of convictions for battery as a kid growing up, nothing in the last 10 years though. They have advised that no contact be instated at this point.
I have been a great father and not seen my little girl since October, my biggest crime is finally having the guts to leave her mother. My ex has constantly had a battle with mental health such as depression and anxiety. I have logged all her Facebook messages and text messages for the past 5 months and they clearly paint her as a vindictive woman. Even on nye she was messaging me to come round.
I'm worried that my access will not be reinstated, any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
CW
Hi CW
I am curious why cafcass have said no contact at this stage rather than supervised contact at a contact centre. I would give them a call and ask if they would be prepared to recommend this as an option.
Make sure you keep all texts, conversations etc with your ex as they could be useful in the future.
Hi There,
My ex partner has made allegations of violence witnessed by my daughter as well as a heavy drug and alcohol use. There was never violence in front of my daughter and any drug use had been stricly recreational once ina blue moon as was hers.
Any more help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
CW
Hi there,
As CAFCASS have recommended no contact at the moment then the court will probably follow that, you could ask for supervised contact at a contact centre in the interim, they can only say no. As drugs and alcohol have been mentioned the court could well order drug and alcohol tests. The test for alcohol is a blood test to check liver function, the drug test is called a hair follicle test and they will take a small amount of hair which will be tested. If the drug use was recreational and your ex also used then you can request she be tested too. If she has a history of mental health issues then perhaps you could request Doctors reports.
The first hearing is likely to be short and the judge will set in motion any reports etc that he/she needs to help make the right decision.
Good luck 🙂
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