Would a Judge order me to send photos of my house to my ExH?

[NameChangerinDespair]

My ExH and I are in Court very soon for a Contested Final Hearing.

In his Statement to the Court, should he be granted permanent residency, he has asked that I submit photos to him to prove the home conditions. There have been concerns and SW involvement in my house but even they talk of "great improvement".

Would a Judge grant this request of his?

they might grant pictures for the judge to look at which your ex would have access to

If it were so much of a concern I expect this is something the social would deal with. They would likely do a home visit and then send a written report to the judge stating whether it was satisfactory or not

He means before every visit.

I expect a social worker report would be enough for a judge. There’s no way he can insist you end him photos before every visit and a judge would think it absurd and massively controlling.

They have sent a report and overnight visits are allowed but he is saying, once the LA step away, the house will deteriorate again and he needs proof before the Children can come.

Well he’ll need to take that request back to a judge and ask for them to make a new order (they won’t)

Having been in what i assume is a similar position (co-parent's home unfit for children, SS involvement, cycle of improvement and regression), i would want proof the house was in a good state before my children went there. If you're complying, then surely a few quick photos isn't any skin off your nose? Or are you worried about your ability to keep it up?

As above, if you have improved and aim to keep it up what the issue in taking the odd pic?

Your children will tell him if things deteriorated anyway tbf....

If it means you get better access to your kids why wouldn't you do it?

If it means you get better access to your kids why wouldn't you do it?

She already has the access without doing it. This isn’t to get better access- this is her ex threatening to withdraw the current court ordered access if she doesn’t provide this extra “proof” that the court hasn’t deemed necessary to grant contact.

We haven't yet had the Final Hearing ... he has an Interim Order in his favour but they were previously ordinarily resident with me.

@Smallsteps88 has it closest. Although the SWs have recommended they live with him, he is quibbling at them coming for holidays they recommend are split without proof. The SWs have signed-off the improvements, the mental health specialists I am working with have given me a positive prognosis about sustaining changes, and I have been open with Friends and Family about the situation so they can now hold me to account, he wants more ... it seems very controlling and intrusive, galling from a Parent who has added to my pressures by not pulling his weight with the Children and not been meeting his CMS obligations.

I think he is trying to say he gives a damn, after years of not really being involved.

How old are your children? Are they able to tell people if they are worried it concerned about how things are at home?

Surely it won’t be the first time that the courts or social workers have seen this sort of a situation and there must be an existing system for this situation. Such as more regular visits from SS.

On the one hand, it doesn’t seem fair that your ex could just decide on his own that your living situation is not suitable and therefore not allow the dc to be there.

On the other hand, he can’t allow the dc to be in an unsafe environment either as he’s their parent and has to do what is best for the children.

The SW have not suggested that anything like that is necessary in their recommendations for contact.

How was it op? (If that's not too intrusive?) Were they at significant risk?

Sigh. The house wasn't at all good initially @TitianaTitsling but, by the time they escalated it, it had come on significantly, which confuses me still, and the house today in unrecognisable, in a good way, from where it was. Even after an ICPC, they were all left in my case in my house as I was improving the house. The Youngest is currently 7, the oldest 13.

@SavoyCabbage part of my gripe is, to date, he has not been a helpful co-parent (indeed, by placing me under financial stress, for example, he has actively worked against me). He says he divorced me as I was controlling, then makes these suggestions ...

I think men who are controlling often accuse others of being controlling. He’s certainly trying to make things difficult for you.

Yes ... I have just been in a Child in Need meeting today and have been bullied by him.

Yes, @Handsoffisback, and I am part of a long-term support programme. I believe he is being controlling, trying to prove he can parent having not been bothered for 4 1/2 years.