News
A blow to equality
While we await the judge's decision on the division of Paul McCartney's fortune between himself and the estranged Heather Mills, it's worth wondering what the feminist line is on divorce settlements - this one in particular, those of the super-rich generally, and finally those of everyone else.
Posted on 23 Feb 2008 by admin
CAFCASS and reporting failures
A recent investigation and report into the East Midlands Cafcass Service highlights matters which a CAFCASS Officer should or shouldn't consider when writing a report for the Court in private family law proceedings.
The Ofsted Report into East Midlands Cafcass points out the following failures by the service. Ensure that the report into your own family circumstances does not also disregard best practice and use the information below as a guide (and information to refer either your solicitor of a judge to).
http://www.thecustodyminefield.com/8.html
The Ofsted Report into East Midlands Cafcass points out the following failures by the service. Ensure that the report into your own family circumstances does not also disregard best practice and use the information below as a guide (and information to refer either your solicitor of a judge to).
http://www.thecustodyminefield.com/8.html
Posted on 23 Feb 2008 by admin
How bungling and bureaucratic social workers are putting children's lives at risk
Some social workers are so bad at their jobs that they are putting children's lives in danger, a Whitehall watchdog found yesterday.
It accused those operating in the family courts of overlooking abusive behaviour by parents and ignoring the views of children.
The report by Government inspectors added that they are obsessed with bureaucracy but rely on files which are incompetently written and missing vital information.
It accused those operating in the family courts of overlooking abusive behaviour by parents and ignoring the views of children.
The report by Government inspectors added that they are obsessed with bureaucracy but rely on files which are incompetently written and missing vital information.
Posted on 23 Feb 2008 by admin
British justice: a family ruined
Last autumn a small English congregation was rocked by the news that two of its parishioners had fled abroad. A 56-year-old man had helped his pregnant wife to flee from social workers, who had already taken her son into care and were threatening to seize their baby.
Posted on 23 Feb 2008 by admin
Guardian Online 08Jan08 - Making a clean break: Divorce should not be treated as a purely legal matter, especially when children are involved
In the UK, the business of divorce and post-separation is too often desperately badly handled, especially once children are involved.
Posted on 21 Jan 2008 by admin
BBC Radio 4 Saturday Live 05Jan08 - Interview highlihgting a Grandparent fighting for access to her grandchildren
Diane & her husband have 10 grandchildren. But for years she has had to fight to see many of them – having been excluded from their lives by their parents.
Diane and her husband has not seen her grandchildren for 8 years. She applied for direct contact which was refused by the Court but they did permit indirect access. The interviewer suggests that the parents should decide what is best for their children but this feisty and determined grandmother challenges this unacceptable perception.
This interview is worth listening to, particularly for grandparents trying to come to terms with the living bereavement of being excluded from their grandchildren's lives following their own children's divorce.
This radio interview can be accessed via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/saturdaylive
starts 31 minutes into the programme and runs for about 15 minutes.
Diane and her husband has not seen her grandchildren for 8 years. She applied for direct contact which was refused by the Court but they did permit indirect access. The interviewer suggests that the parents should decide what is best for their children but this feisty and determined grandmother challenges this unacceptable perception.
This interview is worth listening to, particularly for grandparents trying to come to terms with the living bereavement of being excluded from their grandchildren's lives following their own children's divorce.
This radio interview can be accessed via: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/saturdaylive
starts 31 minutes into the programme and runs for about 15 minutes.
Posted on 21 Jan 2008 by admin
New UK Government e-Petition to stop Parental Alienation
I have been alerted to this latest UK Government e-petition asking the Prime Minister to stop Parental Alienation (http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/alienation/#detail). To date there are 120 signatures on this petition with the signup deadline being 23 April 2008.
The petition states:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop parental alienation if an ex partner refuses the absent parent access to the children then monetry payments should cease.
Ex partners are damaging our future generations.Children need their fathers/mothers and grandparents after divorce or separation.Therefore if the government were to pass a law stating that if access is denied then the residing parent should have their maintenance payments stopped until access is resumed.Thus freeing up courts dealing with access rights."
I appreciate that these petitions do have limited impact on the Government but it is another opportunity to raise awareness of Parental Alienation through official channels
The petition states:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop parental alienation if an ex partner refuses the absent parent access to the children then monetry payments should cease.
Ex partners are damaging our future generations.Children need their fathers/mothers and grandparents after divorce or separation.Therefore if the government were to pass a law stating that if access is denied then the residing parent should have their maintenance payments stopped until access is resumed.Thus freeing up courts dealing with access rights."
I appreciate that these petitions do have limited impact on the Government but it is another opportunity to raise awareness of Parental Alienation through official channels
Posted on 21 Jan 2008 by admin
Child support expert claims ministers have had a ‘nervous breakdown’
The architect of Australia’s acclaimed child maintenance system is so alarmed at Britain’s plans to overhaul the Child Support Agency that he has flown to London to voice his concern.
The new system, which encourages separating couples to reach their own arrangements voluntarily, leaving a pared-down agency to deal with “hard cases”, means that many children will get far less than they deserve from their absent father, he has said.
The new system, which encourages separating couples to reach their own arrangements voluntarily, leaving a pared-down agency to deal with “hard cases”, means that many children will get far less than they deserve from their absent father, he has said.
Posted on 21 Jan 2008 by admin
Child support Bill
The Government should take an opportunity to pilot specialist services for families splitting up
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
Paying for children: never never?
Former Law Society Chief Executive, Janet Paraskeva, has been appointed as the Chair Designate of the Child Maintenance & Enforcement Commission to be established by a Bill which is up for its Third Reading this week. See the announcement by the CSA .
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
Family justice policy does not work for children, report says
This report explores the longer-term outcomes of in-court conciliation (or alternative dispute resolution) in child contact cases. The study examines the impact on re-litigation, contact patterns, co-parenting, contact problems and adult and child wellbeing two years after the original intervention. The study is based on telephone interviews with 117 parents. This report follows an earlier study by the same authors, published in 2006, reporting on the short-term outcomes of in-court conciliation.
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
BBC Newsround Survey finds 1 in 4 children do not consider their fathers immediate family
A recent survey by CBBC of 1000 children aged 6-12 from the UK and a follow-up article by the Mail on Sunday on the results, the most disturbing of which is that "1 in 4 children do not consider their fathers immediate family."
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
Third time lucky?
The government is having another go at reform of the Child Support Agency. The new system must address parents' concerns
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
New guidance published on justices' reasons in the Family Proceedings Court
The Magistrates Association and the Justices' Clerks' Society has published new Good Practice guidance for justices' giving reasons in Children Act cases. The purpose of the guidance is to:
"remind justices and their legal advisers of the content of that guidance, of statutory requirements, of guidance given in case law and to suggest Good Practice in relation to the detail to be contained within justices' facts and reasons."
"remind justices and their legal advisers of the content of that guidance, of statutory requirements, of guidance given in case law and to suggest Good Practice in relation to the detail to be contained within justices' facts and reasons."
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
Reversing Alienation
It is almost impossible to know if a child has truly been victimised by parental alienation syndrome (PAS). There is no test for it, no X-ray can be examined and lengthy psychological evaluations have a certain amount of subjectivity regardless of the clinician's efforts to be impartial.
Posted on 21 Dec 2007 by admin
I had to choose - my grandchildren or my son'
With new figures revealing that 20 million Britons live in the shadow of divorce, Judith Woods hears how grandparents can be caught up in the pain of separation
Posted on 30 Oct 2007 by admin
Thoughts at four days old
Kate Hilpern's tears after giving birth were not just for her newborn baby, but for her mother, Susan, who had her - and gave her away - all before she was 18
Posted on 30 Oct 2007 by admin
Hidden heartache of the weekend mothers
As Britney Spears has found, courts are increasingly giving fathers custody of their children after divorce. Mothers tell of the shame they feel over their empty nests
Posted on 26 Oct 2007 by admin
"I will do everything I can to maintain my relationship with my son, but everything is stacked against it."
Whilst there's a mention in this well-written article in The Daily Telegraph of the admirable campaigning work...
Posted on 24 Sep 2007 by admin
The friend of the stars who fell from grace
Sunday August 26, 2007
By Jamie Doward, Home Affairs Editor, The Observer
The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday September 2 2007
By Jamie Doward, Home Affairs Editor, The Observer
The following correction was printed in the Observer's For the record column, Sunday September 2 2007
Posted on 11 Sep 2007 by admin
Your Shout Too! A survey of the views of children and young people involved in court proceedings when their parents divorce or separate
Coping with divorce and separation
Posted: 06 September 2007 by Susannah Bowyer, Research officer at Research in Practice, which provides a range of services supporting evidence-informed practice
Posted: 06 September 2007 by Susannah Bowyer, Research officer at Research in Practice, which provides a range of services supporting evidence-informed practice
Posted on 11 Sep 2007 by admin
Email to The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
Date:
7 September 2007
To:
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Rt. Hon. Ed Balls, MP
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
From:
Penny Cross
Chair, Mothers Apart from Their Children
Dear Secretary of State
7 September 2007
To:
The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Rt. Hon. Ed Balls, MP
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
From:
Penny Cross
Chair, Mothers Apart from Their Children
Dear Secretary of State
Posted on 10 Sep 2007 by admin
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Publications
by Sarah Hart, long-term MATCH Member, author and counsellor.
www.sarahhart.co.uk
Lost Children: A Guide for Separating Parents, by Penny Cross, MATCH Chair.
Putting Children First:
a handbook for separated parents
buy now