Long time absent father requesting more complicated contact arrangements, what are our options?

[CAOband]

Long story short, a father who removed himself from the child's life has re-appeared 10 years later and requested contact via solicitors (father lives abroad so initial contact is via video calls). No physical abuse or SA, only ongoing financial abuse but it's irrelevant to contact arrangements so I offered direct video calls straight away. The solicitors went silent for two weeks so I had to chase them. They responded by requesting supported contact via virtual contact centres. The child is 13 and refused to be "supported" in chats with their father. Does it look like the father is being unreasonable or the solicitors are trying to maximise their profit? What are our options? What would be the court position on this if we can't agree? No particular objections to contact on my part, but the teenager feels the situation with supported contact is weird.

TIA

I honestly would just say that your child does not want to have a third party on the calls, you do not agree to the suggestion, and you will not engage in future correspondence on the matter - you are more than happy for them to have direct video calls, which can be arranged between your child/their father directly.

Supported contact won't usually involve written reports anyway so I don't think that is the motivation.

Does your child know their father at all? Any memory of him?

Thank you all for your support, and special thanks to all you guys working with the family court! It's been very stressful but at least now I know where I stand. I really wanted to resolve it straight away, teenagers mental health is fragile enough, without court disputes on top of everything else.

I wouldn't push it, let your DC know this is nothing to do with them, it's an offer they can accept or turn down and either way you will back them up. And then put it on the back burner, you've nothing to do, or worry about.

And the child concerned has refused "supported calls " as they are entitled to do at 13.

You've told tham that, so the conversation seems to be over.

I'd keep offering direct calls as that is all your child is happy with.

I think you could simply let them know that your daughter has decided that she wouldn’t be interested in this kind of contact and see what they suggest instead.

If he lives in another country, I dont see what the coirt is going ro do anyway? Payment isnt enforceable so I cant imagine contact is either.

Best bet might be to say we’ll try it. Child can point out they don’t want a random stranger on the call and happy to chat without them but not with them.

Then leave the ball in his court.

I agree with previous poster. I would keep stating the child is not willing to consent to supervised calls, and is agreeable to direct contact with his father.

then add, given the proposed schedule of supervised contact is not suitable for DS long term. For consistency it seems more practical for ds and his father to arrange direct contact when it does suit, and everyone’s needs can be met.

please confirm acceptance of this, and provide necessary contact details, or reply with clear reasoning as to why this isn’t acceptable.