Welcome to the DAD.Info forum: Important Information – open to read:
Our forum aims to provide support and guidance where it can, however we may not always have the answer. The forum is not moderated 24 hours a day, so If you – or someone you know – are being harmed or in immediate danger of being harmed, call the police on 999.
Alternatively, if you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123.
If you are worried about you or someone you know is at risk of harm, please click here: How we can help
Hi all.
Firstly thankyou for all the help I'm this forum, it's been useful so far.
So I'm waiting on my copy of the s7 report but had a call from CAFCASS today with their reccomendation.
They recommend 2 nights from 14 on weekend only and half the time in the summer holidays.
This is a big loss for me, I've had my children 3 nights per week for one full year 2 mid week and 1 rotating weekend night per week.
Ex had an affair and I filed pretty fast upon discovery of her double life. Things were working well for one full year and only escalated once I met my GF a full 9 months after separation. Within days I received a call from the cops sighting harassment using alligations of harassment. This was all proved to be balony but my kids were withdrawn under safeguarding. Upon investigation they've said no SG issues.
After kids withdrawn I proceeded to court it's now been 3 months since I seen my children and I missed both their birthdays while I await contact centre to pull their finger out.
I kept matters all kids focused in my cafcass interview. The interviewer was new and had a senior supervising her. Like I said all was running well, my eldest was improving I'm her reading and writing I have a certificate to prove, I have date and time I attended parents evening whereby the teacher said she can see the work I'm putting in with her has improved her ability.
So cafcass said their reasoning from going 6 in 14 to 2 in 14 was that the kids needed a ft base mid week and it's not in their best interests to live from 2 homes during the school week.
This is absoloute hogwash. As I said they've been well cared for have a nice time with me, their uniforms and lunches and everything they need.
I feel so let down. I'm hoping I can argue this when I get the full S7 report and state the school were never contacted. All issues in stbx weren't about my ability to parent or look after my children, they were an axe to grind against me.
Any help or advice you can provide me with next steps is so very much welcomed.
I won't accept such a limited role in my children's lives without first exhausting all avenues.
There's a section on this site http://www.thecustodyminefield.com/flapp/cafcass.html "what happens if I disagree with cafcass".
Sorry things haven't worked out for you. Hopefully you can appeal their decision.
Hi there
With CAFCASS reports, an appeal would only succeed if there were factual errors, you are disagreeing with their recommendations, which is something that they're unlikely to change, they will just say that you should make your arguement to the court.
I think you just have to argue your case, prepare a response to the S7 and ask for permission to file it before the next hearing. Ask if the school would provide you with a letter to say that the children are well adjusted and happy and that you have been important in helping your daughter to improve with her schoolwork.
Whilst the courts do generally go with CAFCASS recommendations, it's not a given and if you can present a strong enough case you might turn it round, don't forget that you should have the opportunity to cross examine the CAFCASS reporter at the final hearing, perhaps that might assist you in highlighting the weakness in their summation.
Welcome to the DAD.info forum.
We don’t like to set ‘rules’, but to make sure that you and the other dads are kept safe, we have some requests. When engaging with the forum, please be aware of the following:
- The forum is not moderated 24 hours per day.
- Many of the moderators do so on a voluntary basis. Whilst they may be able to provide some guidance, advice or support, they may not be able to deal with specifics.
- We are not an emergency crisis service so if you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call emergency services.
- If you are concerned about the safety of a child, please click here to find the support you can get for them (link to new page)
- If you are in crisis, please call Samaritans on 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
We hope you find this forum a supportive environment and thank you for joining us.