Archive for March, 2008

I found a website today offering advice on the legal implications of having access to your children after a divorce when the mother refuses to give contact.

The website quotes:

Generally speaking, a court will consider contact with both parents to be in the interests of the child and it is very unusual for, say, a non-custodial parent to be denied contact with the child. There would have to be quite unusual circumstances for such an order to be made.

While this maybe true in principle, I find it isn’t true in practise. It has been my experience, not just with myself but with others I have spoken to as well, that the father does not actually have any legal rights whatsoever. Yes the court can say that he is allowed contact, yes they can instruct a care worker to liaise between both parents, but in reality the mother is under no obligation at all to make the children available for contact with the father.

It sounds wrong, of course it does. Sadly though it is true.

I will email David Terry at terry.co.uk to see what he advises as well, seeing as he offers advice and info via email. Maybe he can shed some more light on the situation.

Personally I hope so, but I doubt any solution would be forthcoming… at least not one that didn’t involve several thousand pounds and another legal battle only for nothing to come of it in the end.

I will of course post my findings here.

Clive Bellmore

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