Fake girlfriend to gather evidence?

[BiggestPotato]

Has anyone come across ex making up a girlfriend who wants to meet DC, in order to gather evidence for proceedings? Tia

I don't understand.

If an ex wants to have a third party give evidence in children's proceedings about things the children say. If that is even admissible. Does that happen? Make up a girlfriend who is the third party?

what sort of things that the children say?

If ex is claiming 'the children say they want to live with me', then CAFCASS will interview them and get a neutral opinion.

If ex is claiming "the children are being mistreated and they tell me" then unless ex has actually reported this and taken appropriate action, ex is not likely to be believed.

and a brand new 'girlfriend', who suddenly on first meeting is the confidant and confessor for DC who do not know her, but who spill out their innermost thoughts to her - very unlikely and implausible.

But to answer your question, no, I have not come across this.

Thanks for the quick response. Probably along the lines of children want to come and live with me. Suspect there may be coaching of children to say that too. I guess cafcass would be aware of that possibility though. Ex has PD, keeps going on about F4j and I am suspicious.

Cafcass know very well that parents try to get children to say things, and also that children quite often say what they think each parent wants to hear. It is harder to coach children than many parents seem to assume.

Sorry to be so vague/ drip feed. I am worried about this. I welcome a new girlfriend as the dc will likely be safer when they are with him if she is there. Alcohol, shouting, etc. Now someone tells me I should be suspicious of this woman re the children. But what can she do if she is not really his girlfriend? What is the point?

Some more context: we are just starting the third year of Disney Dad, and since nine months the DC have been coming back from contact in a state. He also shouts at me in front of them, starts groundless legal action against me for denial of contact. He has had a long time to influence the children against me. And third party views are prized in court. Is this woman the latest thing I need to watch my back about?

Third party views are prized where they are from a credible independent witness. In my case the evidence came from DD's counsellor who she had been seeing for 2 years and a child protection officer at school. These carried great weight.

It would be reasonable to assume that a girlfriend (real OR fake) won't be impartial and the weight of anything they say will carry appropriate weight.

In any case anyone who submits such a statement faces the prospect of cross examination at a contested hearing to go through what they have said.

Courts can and do have impartial witnesses - known as `single joint expert' - someone ordered by the court and agreed by both parties.

In short...I wouldn't worry. In my line of work I see an awful lot of `witness statements' which are ignored by the court!

That makes sense and corresponds to my gut feeling. Not sure why someone told me to be suspicious. Maybe I will ask them. Thanks.