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Can i get any legal advice on child access.

7 replies

becmum1983 · 29/04/2014 18:06

Hello. I am wondering if i can get an advice. I am currently going through a court with my ex partner as to access to our daughter. I split from my ex 4 years ago, not long after he went to jail for a violent crime. He was abusive in the relationship but have no proof of this as i was always to afraid to go to the police even though he has a long history of crime drugs and numerous prison terms. After he was released from jail he wanted access to our daughter which I refused as he was living with drug addicts and was taking drugs himself. After a while he started court proceedings and managed to get himself legal aid. I have been told I am not entitled to any help and have to represent myself. I was working part time but have now lost my job and claiming jobseekers allowance.
We have been to court numerous times and quite a few of those he did not turn up. The judge even said one more time and she would throw the case out. Cafcass have asked for drugs tests and psychiatric reports ( he has a long history of very unstable mental health) on our last visit they have gone ahead with ordering the drugs tests but will only speak to his gp about his mental state as psychiatric reports are so expensive.I am refusing access as I know it is in the best interest of my daughter, she does not want to see him at 7 years old he is a complete strangwr to her. He has not seen her for almost 4 years and I know how extremely unreliable and how unpredictable he is and is only doing this to play games with me not in our daughters interest. When we left the courtroom in our last visit he shouted across to me he would rather see her in care than be with me, her mother! Now if that doesn't show how uncaring he is I don't know what does. Anyway they have set a final hearing for approx 8 weeks time where he is pushing for at least supervised contact. Every time I get to court it us getting harder to represent myself and this last hearing is due to last a good few hours and being a single unemployed mum it is impossible for me to afford solictor costs. Is there any advice I can get on possible representation or help it would be greatly appreciated

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NanaNina · 30/04/2014 22:16

Hello - there are 2 family law barristers on this thread Spero and babybarrister - in a recent post Spero gave a link to someone who like you cannot afford a lawyer.

I can't do that clever thing and put the link in colour so you just have to click on it , but the line is:

wwwchildprotection.org.uk/what-if-I-don't-have-a-lawyer

Hope the link works and it doesn't seem very likely that your ex will get a Contact Order and I sincerely hope he doesn't. It sounds like he is just trying to get at you and has no interest in the child at all and Judges are pretty good at seeing through things like this.