Hiya this might be a long post but I really would appreciate any answers.
My ex is taking me to court for contact with our 6 month old.
I stopped the contact as I didn't feel I could keep my child safe - I was meeting my ex in a cafe and supervising him for up to an hour at a time after I had left him.
Him and his mother called SS on me telling lies they completed a core assessment that states my ex and his mother are determined to discredit my parenting ability. It also said my ex took no responsibility for any violent acts he had committed in the past.
It also flagged up my ex's criminal record which includes - Assaults,Weapons,domestics with his mum,threats to kill one of his family members,Public order, Drink drive, drugs and there is common assault towards myself also but I didn't press charges.
When I left my ex he and his mother took all my babys clothes toys blankets and chucked out half of his cot (then asked SS if I had a cot!) They took the pushchair and car seat too..
My ex was very abusive to me and only used our child as an accessory when others were around but once alone he only used him to tell him things like mummys a dirty* to get to me basically
My ex smokes weed daily and takes cocaine sometimes too also drinks lots.
We were forced to sleep on the sofa in my home because the crying disturbed my ex and he would become aggressive.
He threatened that he would take my child out the country.. My birth cert my sons and my passport went missing from my house along with other paperwork.
I have an outreach worker from women's aid and attend a group to help come to terms with what happened..
We were assessed by MARAC as high risk
thats a little bit of what's happened anyway. So I have to go to my first hearing next month and speak with cafcass on the phone 2 weeks before and meet them half an hour before my hearing.. I'm terrified!
I know not to speak about my problems with my ex ONLY concerns for our child but I just don't know what they are going to say..
Some terrible things happened while we were together that put my tiny baby at risk I did leave as soon as I was able to. But I'm worried as there isn't evidence that it happened just my word against his!
Okay so he is asking for - 2-4 hours 3 times a week supervised by his mother at their house in my opinion this is wildly inappropriate as i've been at their house when my ex and his mother fight. They scream and shout and throw things at each other they are constantly at each other throats and have been in front of my son in the past.
My solicitor doesn't seem to want to give me any advice on which way the hearing will go until I've spoken to CAFCASS.. but says I should ask that he has the contact he wants but supervised by me and my grandparents. I have to physically be where the contact is taking place as I am still breastfeeding about 8 times a day - all of those aren't full feeds but snacks and comfort before naps. I don't think the court will go for that as if I am at the contact it puts me in danger as well as my child.
I looked in to contact centers and the one nearest to me only offers supported contact when I called and asked them about my situation they said I had to find a center that offered supervised.
The center that offers supervised would take me probably 2 hours on a good day to get to as I don't drive. I'm completely stuck!
Could somebody PLEASE tell me what to expect