If you’ve just separated from your wife and you have children, the chances are that Cafcas will be involved at some point. Cafcass are a body setup to ‘put children first’ and to ensure that the children are taken care of with regards to access for parents. They’ll arrange an interview with the non resident parent whenever contact is contested. The purpose of the interview is so that Cafcass can assess the suitability of the non resident parent, usually the father, to decide whether he should be allowed access to his children. They then advise the courts accordingly.

The problem is that Cafcass are a body made up largely of women, and whatever the father tells them or demonstrates to them, they will at the end of the day make their decision based on their own opinions, and what they’re told from the mother.

I found with my dealings with Cafcass that anything I told them was treated with suspicion and mistrust, and anything my ex-wife told them was treated as fact. They lied about what they said they would report and didn’t put the children’s wellbeing first, they put the mother’s interests and wants first.

All that said, when you are interviewed by Cafcass all you can do is to be as calm and straight forward as you can. Don’t get angry, don’t raise your voice and be polite. Whether they make up what was said or done in the interview is something you can’t control, but don’t give them any ammunition at all.

If you don’t agree with what Cafcass say in their report, you can challenge it and put the Cafcass social worker on the stand. This will of course cost you plenty, so be prepared for that. I’d also suggest you always have a witness present for each meeting with them, preferably a woman; either your mother or your sister if they can, failing that a close friend. Someone you can trust is essential.

Good luck in dealing with Cafcass and let us know here how it turns out.

Clive Bellmore