Ex has moved without telling me

[Grey91]

My ex has moved to London from Manchester with my daughter without my knowledge telling me she’s staying there and changing schools, I have told her I do not consent to this. I have also spoken to her school up here and told them I don’t give permission however the school have changed it anyway and she is now enrolled down there. I need to know if the school are actually allowed to do this when I have not consented. As soon as I got the message about the move from her, I went through mediation which she didn’t respond to and also applied to the court for an order to prevent this and waiting for a response. Any help or advice is appreciated

How much do you have your daughter ? I think that will be really key in decision making in court and from school regarding the move.

School don’t have any powers to detain a child. If they child has been enrolled elsewhere and no longer attending then they have to transfer otherwise they’d just have an absence every day, the child will have started at the other school anyway but with the new school having no important information. How often did you have the dc before the move?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-c100-application-under-the-children-act-1989-for-a-child-arrangements-prohibited-steps-specific-issue-section-8-order-or-to-vary-or-discharge

If you never had court ordered access, then it is hard to now stop the move as you can't cite that it prevents court ordered access.

This is why all men should ensure their access to their children is formal through courts and/or mediation. Never trust anything or anyone other than that.

The court’s decision will vary based on your specific circumstances. It’s going to be harder as she has already moved.

1. How much contact did you have with DD
2. Does mum have a support system in London.
3. How old is DD?
4. When did mum move ?

I have her usually at weekends but this is not realistic with the travel distance and after work or school etc

Every weekend? Or just occasionally? And on set days after school?

Also, how old is your daughter?

How did it come about that they moved without you knowing it was happening if you have her every weekend?

It would be reasonable to argue in court that mum has to keep to the existing access arrangements so would need to travel back each weekend for dd to see you.

You would be surprised how vindictive and scheming some separated mothers can be and I say that as a woman. I can easily see how she could’ve arranged a move without his knowledge.

It could also be the opposite though. There are plenty of vindictive fathers who have never bothered with their children, but then have everything to say about the lives they lead, just trying to make things as unpleasant as possible for their ex. It could be argued that it is very strange for an involved father to be given absolutely zero notification from anyone at all that his child is being moved. No emails or texts or any correspondence from any schools/nurseries/childcare providers? I know with all of those, any correspondence from them gets sent to me and their dad separately. Nothing from any doctors or dentists? Not a single comment from any of the child’s friends, or either parents friends or family, either by accident or from someone concerned that the child is being moved away from a parent. Nothing from the child themselves? Very strange really

I have not been an absent dad, I have lived with them for 5 years, my daughter is 5. Only recently I moved out of the family home because my ex decided she wanted someone else and I couldn’t be in that situation. She went to London for the school holidays and messaged me on the Sunday before school starts again that she was staying there and changing her school without any discussion. I have since applied for a court order to prevent a move and change of school and spoken to the school to tell them I don’t give consent for any move. They have now informed me that the change has been made. I have now contacted social services down there because my ex will not tell me where my daughter is living so I can come down to see her and she is refusing to come up here so I can see her also.

Have you thought what your plan will be going forward? The unfortunate thing for you is that she’s now already moved. I’ve not heard of any cases where a mother has been forced to move back. The only hope of getting your child to move back would be to become the resident parent. Extremely unlikely if up until now you’ve only had the child on the weekends. Presumably you won’t be able to have her for holidays either if you are working all week? If she’s only just moved is she still in possession of her previous house?

Abit more context to the situation is that I have lived with my daughter for 5 years seeing her every night and weekends until 2 months ago where it has changed to just weekend because I’m no longer living there. My ex still is a joint tenant on the house we have and is also refusing to take her name off the house. She is wanting it both ways.