CAFCASS. Can you contact them after case closed?

[JoJo2106]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if you can still contact cafcass after your case has already been closed?

We have a child arrangement order and have previously had cafcass involvement but the case is now closed as the court case is over and has been since January.

My ex is a total narcissist and had fully went to work on the cafcass officer and got her completely on side. He has recently told me via our communication book for out child that he has contacted the cafcass worker (he used her first name) to say he is having problems with me regarding holiday contact.

Firstly there are no problems, he has to have 7 nights holiday contact before the end of this year, we have just had a bit of trouble initially agreeing on a date as there has been quite a lot going on but are close to agreeing on a date soon.

Just wanted to know if my ex can just contact cafcass like this even though they no longer have any involvement with us and our case is now closed? Is it even anything to do with them now? Surely his solicitor would be first point of contact not cafcass?

Also want to say this cafcass officer was very unprofessional when she was dealing with our case a few months ago as she had told him everything that went on in my interview with her, he was boasting about this in the communication book about this. He also said that the cafcass officer said I talk a complete pack of lies. Is this even right or allowed?

The fact he is contacting her after our case is closed is a bit concerning to be honest and just doesn't seem right at all. What can cafcass even do anyway? Plus I'm.not even doing anything wrong. The order states he is to have his holiday contact before the end of 2019.

Starting to wonder if just scare tactics now?

The officer told my dp what his ex says too so I don't think it's them being unprofessional but being transparent.
As what you said and he does is in a report.
Also the delay in agreeing on holiday time isn't actually fair if you've had since January.
But I believe he would have to enforce the order at court, it maybe that he's logging the issues.

@hopefulandstrong no this was her been unprofessional. She walked in my house with her mind already made up without even speaking 2 words to me. She was over an hour late as she'd spent that long with him. But she told me nothing about what went on in her interview with him but somehow shed told him everything about mine. In his words "I know everything that went on"

Surely Cafcass are no longer involved as there is no court case. And we had a letter from cafcass after the court case saying their involvement is no longer required and case is closed?

No the holiday contact is only from now not January, sorry i should have said. The order says not to be taken prior to September but before the end of 2019 so the holiday contact has literally only kicked in for us to start agreeing dates. And hes on the phone to cafcass already. Surely its nothing to do with them now?

Its reasonable to arrange the holiday prior to September to be taken in the ordered period, unless the order says otherwise?

How old is your child?

As the case is closed, he would have to back to court for enforcement.

No, once the case is closed to Cafcass that’s that.

CAFCASS won’t do anything without a court ordering them to. So they’ll signpost him elsewhere.
That said, your OP is somewhat misleading based on what you’ve posted here before. I’m not surprised he’s pissed off that you are still unwilling to agree a date.

It sounds from what you said that he could and may go back to enforce the holiday or at least get the holiday dates he wants.

If I were you I would start agreeing ASAP. As everyone books and plans holiday a year in advance. Could you imagine a school only giving a few months notice.

He isn't taking our child anywhere on holiday he is just having him for 7 nights.

The thing is I am willing to agree a date there has just been a bit of a delay as ds has just started nursery. The order says it is not to be prior to September but before the end of 2019. We are barely into September and as i say as long as he has those 7 nights by the end of the year there isn't much to enforce surely? We are most likely looking at beginning of October he has ds.

Really just wanted to know about the situation with cafcass. Not sure why he'd ring them up when it's nothing to do with them anymore? Especially when we are going to be agreeing a date very soon.

Well, if the Family Court Adviser chooses to communicate with him she is foolish.

I think what you really have though is some valuable evidence of his manipulative behaviour. Any CAFCASS officer would be mortified at the suggestion s/he said what he claims. If you end up back in court ensure you have screenshots of his comments to use. Take them now, so they can't be disappeared.

@MrsBertBibby honestly the things he has wrote in this book about comments she had made is ridiculous. She was totally biased towards him as she had visited him first, was well over an hour late to me and she walked in my house with her mind made up before even sitting down on my sofa or I'd said a word. I do think it is very unprofessional some of the things she has supposedly said, my ex also said 'sarkily' how did your interview go, I know everything that went on. So she's basically told him everything and made horrible comments about me too.

The fact hes ringing her up after our case is closed and not rang his solicitor is very strange in my opinion. I have all the evidence in the contact book so I will be keeping hold of that and starting a new book.

I think the important word in that is “supposedly”.

I don’t know a single Cafcass worker who would say those things.

@FenellaVelour I honestly don't know tbh. The way she was with me was horrendous and this was when she'd only just walked into my house. When i tried to bring up my concerns, which is what she was there for she completely shut me down and defended my ex even though there was evidence to show I was truthful. She told me sweet fa about anything she discussed with him but somehow he seemed to know everything about mine. My mum had to do supervised contact with my ex and ds and the cafcass officer came then so she could see ds whilst with his dad (He is 2) and my mum said it was like they were best mates the way they were with each other (cafcass and my ex) so nice with him and laughing and joking. The complete opposite to how she was with me. She was vile honestly. I was pretty shocked tbh how she was defending him.

I honestly wouldn't like to say if she has said all this stuff or not but he seemed to know an awful lot and has clearly rang her up even though we've no involvement with cafcass anymore.

If it ever goes back to court I pray to god we dont get her again!