New government views on 50/50 shared residency

[mummylou85]

I just read a thread that the new government want to give the father 50/50 care. 3 and a half days. I know my ex will jump at this because who will get child benefit and child tax???? would we share it. bare in mind my daughter is nearly 5 and have never had a penny in child support. we went through courts for 2 years and it only resulted in supervised contact because his parenting skills but no doubt next time I wont be so lucky. he don't give my daughter any food, a drink nothing at contacts I take my daugthers own snacks etc and she is always starving after. I would never trust him 3 and a half days.

he never paid penny csa been contacted num of times and keep loosing the info. if I had to hand over the child tax credits and child benefit too him my poor daughter would go short I wouldn't mind if she was provided for when he looked after her. really stressful and I am pregnant same dad after too much too drink I was stupid as he is not a good dad and he really took advantage as I don't drink, I sound awful. please any advice I am so stressed new government and handing my babies over when they going too be beglected or new government cutting benefits is such a stresser xxx

so can they really do that and make you give your kids 50/50 what about schools and routine. HELPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

meant neglected

ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE

I haven't read the thread you mention, but I am sure that no government would insist on 50/50 care in all cases - I would guess that what it would mean would be that the "starting point" for access discussions would be 50/50 but that the courts (or whatever) would take relevant factors into account too. So, if your exP is not able to look after a child properly then he would still only get supervised access - no government is going to bring in a law handing children over to people who have already shown they are not able to look after them!

Also, if the law says that your exP should have paid CSA and he hasn't, then no way they would give him the tax credits etc.

ok thank you xxx

I just found this???????????

From lib-dem manifesto
'Introduce a Default Contact Arrangement which would divide the child?s time between their two parents in the event of family breakdown, if there is no threat to the safety of the child.' Another one says that the mother would not be assumed to be given residency. Scary stuff.

would a guy in a one bedroomedflat or lacks parenting skills get 3 and a half days a week when my daughter and soon too be newborn will be neglected xxxx

"If there is no threat to the safety of the child"..... Not someone in substandard accommodation with poor parenting skills. I think you're scaring yourself unnecessarily.

Reading that from the manifesto it reads to me that it would be brought in going forward (if it was even brought in at all), they wouldn't automatically change any arrangements that are already in place.

PLus it would cost money to change to that (changing the law etc) and it wouldn't be easy (a lot of lobbyinh from womens groups etc it would be a huge deal all over the papers) and TBH they have no cash at the mo and other fish to fry with the budget and everything.

So in summary, please don't worry. I think that they won't be doing this any time soon, and even if they did, it wouldn't automatically apply to people who have already split up and got their arrangements sorted IYSWIM

Yes but as Chili says they do put "if there is no threat" and they also say "Default Contact Arrangement"

You have to remember that, even though your situation is problematic, there will be many family breakdowns where both sides are good parents, there is no worry about safety, no arguments about support payments etc. All this is saying is that, where there aren't any problems, the starting point should be shared residency - that nobody should just assume the mother gets custody, when the dad has been a good hands-on father. Good dads will get shared residency.

It doesn't mean that they would ignore the problems which they already know that some families have during or before the breakdown of the relationship.