Covid and Child access agreements Grandparents

[Juststopamoment]

Just wondering how child access agreements are being dealt with during this time. And where we stand legally if we just cancel and don’t reschedule. The GPs are saying that they are cancelling their visit because it’s not possible because of the new regulations. I also have health issues which means I have to be careful to a certain point.

They want to replace it with a Zoom call on top of their numerous other Zoom calls on alternate months and Christmas and Easter and Birthdays. The visit will then be rescheduled for another time.

My question is how am I supposed to deal with the extra Zoom calls because of Covid that will definitely start encroaching on our lives? Also the pile up of face to face contact which is supposed to be every other month but may end up twice a month if they all get rescheduled.

Thanks.

@prh47bridge

Coronavirus doesn't give them a magic wand to increase contact. Just say no to additional contact. They will have to take you to court if they want more.

Precisely! Think they are trying their luck @Juststopamoment!!

@Juststopamoment

They took me to court and got access after their son died. Sorry I thought I’d put that in. Huge back story. I don’t like or trust them. I was completely against access to the children. My main concern is that they will bank all these visits and they will be twice monthly. I have to protect myself from the grandparents because they have made false allegations about me in the past and I have to get a neighbour to help with handover. I firmly believe allowing them more access to the children opens up me and my children to further abuse.

So your children’s father died and you’ve done your best to stop them seeing their grandparents? The courts have upheld the contact which means they think the GPs are ok. I think stopping zoom calls is awful off you. In fact, I’d expect calls weekly!

Speaking as someone who also has been through a grandparents court battle I think that’s a little unfair to say.
Just because the children’s father died doesn’t mean his parents should have contact with the grandparents weekly. @Juststopamoment states that she has been falsely accused of stuff from them and she is protecting her and the children from further abuse.

@MelissaD10

Speaking as someone who also has been through a grandparents court battle I think that’s a little unfair to say. Just because the children’s father died doesn’t mean his parents should have contact with the grandparents weekly. *@Juststopamoment* states that she has been falsely accused of stuff from them and she is protecting her and the children from further abuse.

Sorry that should say “contact with the grandchildren weekly”

The OP had split up with the father of her children before he died. His parents have made false allegation of assault against her. There is some money from the father held in trust for his children but the OP has been told by his parents that the only way they would get anything was to request it from the grandparents who would then, if they agreed, take the children to buy it. However, none of that makes them a danger to the children and they were in the children's lives before their father died so the courts have awarded contact.

The OP has not stopped Zoom calls. Her worry is that the grandparents want to have Zoom calls to replace contact AND have the contact as well. In essence, they are trying to argue that, because of Coronavirus, they should get twice as much contact. They are being unreasonable, not the OP.

As court ordered contact can occur despite Covid restrictions why are the cancelling the contact??

I would continue to state broken record style that they are cancelling face to face contact and you will co-operate by facilitating contact via Zoom instead of them if they wish however them missing contact does not mean they can have it at a later date... oh and you have checked with your legal team!