How can I access a historical custody hearing?

[Lex345]

I am hoping someone can point me in the right direction really please, google isn't really helping!

I was subject to a custody hearing as a child and I would like to access the judgement. Would this be possible? For full disclosure I know roughly the year (1990/1991) and I know obviously where I was living, but I have no idea which court it was heard in. I have a clear recollection of a social worker interview but not their name. There were three parties involved-two of these have died and the third I am NC with and will not resume contact due to her behaviour and abuse throughout my childhood. Even if I were to make contact, it is likely she would be obstructive and unhelpful as a way of exerting control/pain on me in the only way she could. Therefore I have no way of gaining any other information.

Would a social services file for me exist? Thank you in advance for any help!

Could anyone help at all please?

Call your local social services department at the council, you can do an access request for any records they have for you

Oh brilliant thank you-I didn't think of that! Will they definitely still hold my records? It was over 20 years ago

I’m not all that sure….. it’s worth a try! At our council you fill a form out online, have a look on your county councils social care website ☺️

The answer as always is depends.
They are kept until the child is 16/18 but often after that they are not destroyed, just archived. If archived as paper anything could have happened in the meantime to the paper. If at some point transferred to another format, the format might have been corrupted. Saying all that I accessed some more than 30 year old stuff on me with a few weeks wait for them to search.
Good luck.

Thank you both, I have found the SAR form so will let you know how it goes :)

Good luck 😊