Can my family take me to court to see my children

[godfreyfour]

I have a very toxic mum and sister who I cut contact with many years ago.
I've since married and had 3 children 1, 5 and 7 who have never met them or heard anything about them we and don't live in the area.
We have dh family and the children have loving grandparents/cousins and extended family on his side.

I've always been very discrete on social media blocking anyone I didn't want to see me and keeping profiles private but it appears to have got back to them and that I have children, they've contacted me through a third party to insist I allow them to meet my children which I've declined and now the message relayed to me is that they'll see me in court because I'm preventing them from meeting grandchildren children/niece/nephews which they think they have a right to.

Are they likely to be able to have contact with my children who are completely unaware of these people and without me as I don't want any contact with them?
I really don't want to have to spend a fortune on legal fees just to keep life as it is.

You need to go NC with the old friend too. They sound batshit

Absolutely not. The only reason they could ever take you to court is if they had evidence that you were neglecting your children and wanted to be the main caregivers, which they wouldn't have any evidence of if you never see them and have them blocked on everything :) No one can take you to court over just contact, you're completely safe

Do not reply to them just leave it.
in order to go to court they would have to ask permission and file an application for permission as they don’t have PR
after 10 years no contact, they will most certainly have no luck and they will have wasted money if they go this route. I suspect if they look into it, they will find out it is pointless. It’s a threat in my opinion to get you rattled and agree contact - just ignore it.

You can go to court for just contact, and some grandparents do, but you have to apply for permission from the court to make this application as they don’t have parental rights.
I worked in family court for years and you do get applications from grandparents, but they have to get court permission to do so and that is unlikely in this case.

The old friends no friend of yours.

From what I underhand they need to have a significant relationship already eg you lived with grandparents for years of your children’s childhood and then stop contact. They could argue it’s depriving the children of a strong family relationship. But they don’t have that so no leg to stand on

A few months ago I saw a thread about a GF who tried to go to court to see the kids never taking much of an interest before. It was merely him trying to exert some panic and control, plus he lost. GPs don't have automatic right in E&W. It's different if the child(ren) are deemed to be at risk but otherwise, it will probably get thrown out.

Ignore them OP. They can create all the drama they want to, it won't get them anywhere.

The grandparents rights law that some refer to is to protect grandparents like mine (and children like I was) who play a major role in their grandchild's life, in my case full time care for several years before my parents tried to take me back. If my parents had been successful that law would have protected my relationship with my grandparents.

It's not for strangers who happen to be related to get access to kids they've never met.

A judge in a family court functions to make decisions based on what's in the best interests of any children in the case. They aren't concerned with the rights of adults in relation to children. Based on what you say, it's vanishingly unlikely that a judge would consider that your children would benefit from contact with your family.

If you've been estranged from your family for a very long time, they may not realise how much you've changed, especially if they are themselves stuck with the circumstances and characters that drove you away. Hence this attempt to push you into doing what they want; it may be that more detailed advice from MN legal will give you some additional reassurance but I hope that what's been said here will help to start with.

@godfreyfour I wouldnt put it past this "old friend" to have told them where you live!

Block the “friend” and lock your SM down or come off completely.

They have no rights. Let them waste their money.

One of my parents got a friend to pretend to be a solicitor and ring my in laws to find out about my kids. They told them 😡. Paid out a lot of money to find out they couldn't do anything and wouldn't win in court. Not a chance in hell would they have got near my kids and they are all adults now so it is not a worry. When the parent dies I'll be raising a glass as I can relax then.

The third party would be cut out of my life immediately.

Ignore all requests and keep no contact. They have threatened court in a hope to scare you in to giving in.

They have no chance, ignore and block the friend. If you wanted a good source of advice, try this childlawadvice.org.uk

I have no idea if that will link!!

Seems like they've just proven once again WHY you felt the need to go NC.

They're trying to scare you, they're trying to create drama. They've invented a scenario in their heads where they are the victims.

Family courts are there to serve the best interests of the child. Not to satisfy horrible people who just want to cause trouble.

I'd be sorely tempted to reply to the flying monkey w.a long string of laughing emoji's but I would actually just block her. She just showed herself to be a very unsafe person.

And I think the other replies are correct, they can try to take you to court but they'll lose their money on the effort. I suspect they're just trying to get under your skin, you won't let them!

I would block the "friend".

They won't be get anywhere and I suspect they are trying to get a reaction from you.

I'd continue keeping your socials private and don't get blackmailed into any contact with them.

Your mum and sister are playing games and trying to rattle you. Do not engage in any way whatsoever. The old friend/messenger is one of those arseholes who loves to insert themselves in other people’s dramas in the guise of a mediator/concerned friend. I guarantee she’s the one who was gossiping to them about you in the first place. Block her from your SM and let her know you don’t want any more messages from the family.

Totally ignore, breathe and carry on enjoying the lovely life you have built with your own lovely family unit.

Block that non friend.
Of course these strangers to your children, but related to you, have no right to meet your children.

Block this trouble maker.
Call Womens aid for advice and support if you need to chat.

No.

If your family want to waste countless thousands of pounds on completely failing to have any rights over your children, my advice is to let them. The only winner will be their lawyer.

Block the "friend" and ignore such nonsense. The grandparents and aunts and uncles do not have rights to a relationship with children they have never met.

They're trying to scare you by making these empty threats. Noooo way would they win any court case for this nonsense.

They have no legal right to see your children.

They sound absolutely batshit. Block delete ignore.

I think ‘we’ll take you to court’ is often a meaningless threat, thrown around and meant to scare the other party.

In reality, they will find out that they need to actually take action, seek advice and pay for that advice, without any surety that they will get what they want.

I bet a high proportion of people never get past the initial threat.

Ignore and let them start their legal process.

( in your case safe in the knowledge that they won't ‘win’)

Grandparents have no automatic right to see their grandchildren in the UK OP. However, if you can't make an informal agreement through mediation (which I'm sure you wouldn't want to do) they can ask for permission ("leave") from the family court to request a Child Arrangements Order and if granted permission, they can then make an application to the court for the order. You can find out more information about it here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/what-rights-do-grandparents-have-to-see-their-grandchildren/

What everyone else has said.

I looked into it when kids were young as IL went on strop and kept on about their rights - even DH had enough especially when MIl started telling eveyone she was breaking us up and would "get" the kids even though they lived in another bit of the UK.

I don't know if they just read round their "rights" - as we did - or paid for advice or just got over the strop but something shifted and grandparent rights never got mentioned again ever and they started to be easier to deal with.

So with no contact at all hard to see how they could prove it was in your kids interest so they won't get far- so best advice block the friend and keep them blocked.