Hi all
So I am posting on behalf of a family member let's call him A. A's long term girlfriend split up with him a year and half ago. She moved a new guy in the next day. A and his ex have two school aged children (4 and 7)
A few months after A and Ex split. The school contacted A with quite a lot of safeguarding concerns about his children living at their mums and also about the grandmother on the ex's side. Drugs, hungry, clothing etc. Nothing really come to it.
Months down the line As children have been telling A that the ex's new partner has been hitting them. A is concerned reports to the police and children's services. The ex stops him from seeing the children. As child calls him crying saying that the partner has hit her again. A records this call as he was concerned and A report straight to children's services again. The social worker is looking into this.
A has recently moved in with a new girlfriend.
The ex doesn't like this. The ex has now suspended A's access to the children due to the safeguarding reports to children's services and is saying he needs to sign something to see his kids... but won't show him what he needs to sign. She has given him set times to call his children. She won't answer the phone at these times just texts saying sorry I am busy, so he isn't able to speak to the children.
A is applying for a court order.
I hope it wasn't too confusing!
Any advice? How long does a court order take? He is worried sick about his children.