Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Ex didn't bring our son home

219 replies

VeganAvoToast · 13/02/2022 20:55

I've name changed. I guess I'm posting to see if anyone else has been through this? What happened? I'm in pieces. My son is 7. Ex sent me a screenshot of confirmation of mid term admission to another primary school which he says he is taking our son to see tomorrow. Our son who already sturggles with emtional regualtion and long standing tics. I've called the police but as he has parental responsibility there is nothing they can do.

OP posts:
Aimee1987 · 14/02/2022 16:47

Go and get him but also get a solicitor and put a court order in place to make sure he never pulls a stunt like this again

Thevengabusiscoming · 14/02/2022 16:50

It’s about taking back some control. If she picks her kid up he will keep doing this again and again even with a court order. He doesn’t want his son, he wants the control. He has now got it, on his terms she can go and get the kid and there doesn’t seem to be any reason why he shouldn’t see his son so it’s not like he’s not safe.

Pinkyxx · 14/02/2022 16:51

I am so sorry you and your son have had to go through this. Poor child must be so confused, he's only 7 poor thing. My ex did similar (despite orders being in place), and I was in the car within minutes of his text. Had he not text I'd have been in the court the next working day to get an emergency hearing to have her returned.

Please go and get your son immediately and don't let him back there until you go to court. If you don't get him this sends the message that you endorse a situation which is absolutely unforgivable for your son. Your ex may want to play games but you must rise above it all. Keep the appts and get court orders in place.

RedToothBrush · 14/02/2022 16:51

@VeganAvoToast

Ex has just said if I do the driving I can come get ds.

This was never about ds. This was about driving. I can't believe it. All of this, and it boils down to nothing more than driving. One minute he's enrolling him in schools and taking him to have a look, next it's you can collect him if you do the driving

No its not about the driving or the schools.

Its about him coercively controlling you and using your son as a weapon in that.

How long has this been going on and how much court involvement over custody is there?

You need to 'get smart' with this. You need to detatch yourself emotionally from all your replies and not take the bait when he is a twat. You need to start documenting EVERYTHING - all the unreasonableness and all the game playing and head fucking.

EVERY time you respond, you need to think 'how would my reply look to a third party' instead. Because this matters.

You need to start thinking about formalising your child arrangements through the courts, if they are not already, and if they are start making a point of when he breaks the order (like noting when he doesn't return your son on time'.

Think about what is in the best interests of your child at all times - mucking about with when he returns for example.

You NEED to seek proper legal advice now EVEN IF YOU GET YOUR SON BACK TODAY.

This has gone beyond a normal problem and is into your ex trying to control and abuse you.

Lots of people on MN who can help talk you through all this. But make sure you fully understand what coercive control is - and how important it is you DON'T tell him that you think he is trying to coercively control you (there are legitimate reasons for this which you should see explained if you look up coercive control)

Clarinet1 · 14/02/2022 16:53

Bet Valentine’s Day has something to do with his changing his mind though!

rainbowstardrops · 14/02/2022 17:02

I do hope you're on your way to get your son.
Your ex is trying to exert control and show you what he can do, so you show HIM what YOU can do!
Get legal advice and get all arrangements set in stone.

MrsDThaskala · 14/02/2022 17:22

Reading through thread. Such good advice from everyone. Wanted to know if everything worked out okay and you're home?

affairsofdragons · 14/02/2022 17:55

Go get him.

Keep your appointment with the legal team.

Get a court-ordered agreement in place that requires him to do the driving and return the child at the end of his visitation periods. He moved. He can drive. He's just refusing.

WonderfulYou · 14/02/2022 18:10

This was never about ds. This was about driving.

It’s not about driving it’s about control. And now he’s realising it’s not so easy taking care of a child FT/his gf won’t do it for him.

Keep calm and go and collect your son.

When you get back home tell him he won’t be having unsupervised access again and if he’s got a problem with it he can go to court.

Contact your son’s school and tell them he is not to go with anyone but you.

Talia99 · 14/02/2022 18:22

@WonderfulYou

This was never about ds. This was about driving.

It’s not about driving it’s about control. And now he’s realising it’s not so easy taking care of a child FT/his gf won’t do it for him.

Keep calm and go and collect your son.

When you get back home tell him he won’t be having unsupervised access again and if he’s got a problem with it he can go to court.

Contact your son’s school and tell them he is not to go with anyone but you.

Unless there is a court order in place, the school have no power to keep a child from either parent. That’s why getting an order as quickly as possible is essential.
Ginger1982 · 14/02/2022 18:26

Stop contact now. Make him take you to court.

Whatsonmymindgrapes · 14/02/2022 18:46

Go get your son, and a court order. Hope he’s home safe.

WonderfulYou · 14/02/2022 19:08

Unless there is a court order in place, the school have no power to keep a child from either parent. That’s why getting an order as quickly as possible is essential.

Can she not say it’s being sorted?
I worry he’s going to change his mind again and decide to pick him up from school.

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 14/02/2022 19:28

@VeganAvoToast

Ex has just said if I do the driving I can come get ds.

This was never about ds. This was about driving. I can't believe it. All of this, and it boils down to nothing more than driving. One minute he's enrolling him in schools and taking him to have a look, next it's you can collect him if you do the driving

That's an easy one for me, especially if he text or emailed that. First I'd screenshot a copy if it was a text. I'd collect DC then file as planned, you need protection in place so he can't d
Talia99 · 14/02/2022 19:32

@WonderfulYou

Unless there is a court order in place, the school have no power to keep a child from either parent. That’s why getting an order as quickly as possible is essential.

Can she not say it’s being sorted?
I worry he’s going to change his mind again and decide to pick him up from school.

Of course she can say that. Equally, he can say she’s a bad mother / drug addict / living with a child sex offender / having a nervous breakdown / insert reason here and tell the school not to allow her to collect the child.

The school have no legal power to get involved without a court order and the father would be legally permitted to call the police and insist on the child being handed over. ‘An order is pending’ means nothing. It’s why she needs a court order a.s.a.p.

VeganAvoToast · 14/02/2022 19:37

Hi, thanks so much again for such helpful and supportive replies, it's really meant a lot.

We're home. Ex and I did not exchange a single word to each other when I collected my son. I am going to keep solicitor appointment on Wednesday and go from there.

He told my son about the school and my son told me that his dad said he couldnt go to a new school because i was upset (I didn't press him at all, just asked if Dad had mentioned a school, and when he replied I changed the subject to pizza).

I won't be doing anything until I've got legal advice.

Honestly I could sleep for a week.

OP posts:
pickingdaisies · 14/02/2022 19:45

Wow what a day, welcome home both!

LunaAndHerMoonDragons · 14/02/2022 19:47

That's an easy one for me, especially if he texted or emailed that. First I'd screenshot a copy if it was a text. I'd agree, collect DC then file as planned, you need protection in place so he can't do this again. You could ask the lawyer you're seeing later in the week, what is reasonable going forward until you get to court, if some in person supervised contact in your home city could be ok or given the circumstances it's fine to just offer phone/video contact. They could also send him a letter on your behalf outlining what's happened so far, the contact you're offering and that you will be following the legal process to keep DC safe. I'm sure a lawyer could put it better than me, or tell you what needs to be included if you decide to do it yourself. Keep an extra copy of any correspondence and I'd do it registered need a signature so you can prove he got it.

As for his attempt to coerce and blackmail you, I don't know if coercive control is illegal in Scotland, but I'm sure blackmail would be illegal. Also promises and contracts made under coercion aren't binding. Even if he didn't put it in writing I think it would be believable that you did this under threat given he has kept DC from you. I hope DC is back with you very soon and moving forward you can get something legal in place quickly to protect your DC. Good luck with it all.

Theunamedcat · 14/02/2022 20:16

In the order it needs to specifically state the school cannot be changed unless both parents agree

The current system seems to rely on one parent objecting rather than both agreeing in the first place my ex husband has pr I signed ds1 up for secondary school and ds2 up for primary school I was even granted permission to transfer ds2 to a special school no mention of his dad being involved in that process either

Theunamedcat · 14/02/2022 20:17

I should add ex has no objections to the school he has zero interest in there education either

rainbowdashsneeze · 14/02/2022 20:19

This happened to me and I went to a solicitor first thing in the morning and I had residency by lunchtime. Please act quickly sending hugs xx

AcrossthePond55 · 14/02/2022 21:05

So glad you're both home and safe! I'll bet you're both exhausted!

Now, onwards and upwards (with legal advice)!

TracyMosby · 14/02/2022 21:17

It’s not about driving it’s about control.

Absolutely this. Good luck for wednesday

BringBackCoffeeCreams · 14/02/2022 21:26

Glad he's back. Now don't let him go anywhere with your ex until it is set in stone by a court order.

Zonder · 14/02/2022 21:35

So glad for you

Swipe left for the next trending thread