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My ex and I have a daughter, who has just turned 1. I lost contact for a month at 2 months old due to changing jobs and moving house, but since 3 months old I have seen her at least once a week for 2-3 hours a visit, and paid maintenance My ex has never let me take her out alone, or be in the room alone with her. I have always been a loving dad to her, but my ex insists this is so our daughter "won't get scared being away from her".
Whenever I ask when I can have her alone, she says "once she is ready." but won't give any indication of when this is, and as she never leaves our daughter with anyone, she understandably cries if she leaves the room. My ex insists she won't calm down without her, and isn't willing to try this. Up until now I haven't pushed the point, due to breastfeeding meaning I couldn't have had long with her anyway, but now it seems like she's just going to drag it on and on. (she is also still breastfeeding even though our daughter is over 1.)
If I take this to court, would her reasons mean I still only have supervised access?
She says:
1. Our daughter doesn't know me well enough and will be scared (I see her once-twice a week, I do all the travelling-about 30 minutes each way, and she won't let me take her out unless ex is with us. Daughter will happily smile/play with me, though she is quite shy, but this is with everyone not just me.)
2. That I don't pay enough attention to her and she might end up hurting herself. (This is not true.)
3. That I can't calm my daughter down on my own, (She has never let me try this, as if she cries longer than about 2 minutes she takes her off me and does it herself.)
And also how much/how long is an average court case of this sort?
Thank you in advance.
How old was your son before your ex began to relax about being away from him?
Did you find any way of persuading her to relax about it?
Did you take it to court, and if you did what outcome did you get?
Thank you for your reply.
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