Concerned about your ex-partner’s behaviour towards your child? Or maybe you don’t have a good relationship with them anymore. Whatever your reason might be for wanting to limit or entirely prevent someone from seeing your child, legally, it’s important to understand which reasons are valid and your legal options.
Fortunately, the experienced child custody solicitors at Freeman Jones Solicitors can help. Below, we explain the various circumstances where a parent may be able to prevent access to their children, as well as what a father’s rights to see his child in the UK are.
Can my ex stop me seeing my child?
Are you concerned that your ex-partner is preventing, hindering, or controlling your relationship with your child? As long as you have Parental Responsibility (PR), it’s important to remember that they cannot legally stop you from seeing your child.
As defined by the Children Act 1989, PR refers to “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and [their] property”. There are only a few exceptional circumstances where this responsibility can be legally removed by the court.
As a result, as long as you still have PR, your ex-partner should give you ‘reasonable access’ to any children you share. While this is a very vague term, any decisions made about child access and custody should be taken with their welfare and best interests in mind.
If you can’t come to an amicable child arrangement agreement with your ex-partner or they’re still refusing to allow you access to your child even with an agreement in place, it’s often best to seek professional mediation services from a law firm like Freeman Jones Solicitors.
This approach can help you to avoid the fees and legal costs involved in going to court and encourage a more civil relationship between you and your ex-partner. To learn more about how we can help, please don’t hesitate to contact our knowledgeable team today.
Why would a father not be allowed to see his child?
Often, courts will only not assist fathers with seeing their child if there is a concern about the welfare and safety of the child. Valid reasons to stop a father seeing his child might include:
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Criminal activity
- Domestic abuse
- Other activities or behaviours that put the child’s welfare at risk
It’s important to remember that a mother refusing a father to see his child shouldn’t do so for reasons that aren’t related to either the child’s welfare or safety. For example, issues arising due to separation or divorce, the father refusing to pay child support, or the mother’s personal preferences or opinion of the father.
How to legally stop someone from seeing your child
Want to find out how to legally stop someone from seeing your child in the UK? If you believe that your other child’s parent might pose a threat to their welfare or safety, it’s important that you understand your legal options.
Crucially, you should contact the court and ask them to make an order to prevent them from seeing your child. In the UK, the court can stipulate who a child is to live with and have contact with using a Child Arrangements Order (CAO).
Before you get in touch with a court, however, it may be worth discussing your case with a family law solicitor, like Freeman Jones Legal. Our specialist child custody solicitors can offer you expert legal advice that’s tailored to your specific case and help you to avoid lengthy and costly legal proceedings where possible.
Contact us today for child custody services
Struggling to come to a mutually agreeable child arrangement with your ex-partner? Whether you’re seeking a Child Residence Order or Child Contact Order, the experienced family law solicitors at Freeman Jones Solicitors can help you to navigate a wide range of issues with ease.
Regardless of whether you’re currently going through a divorce or separation, we’ll ensure you receive the necessary legal support and advice to come to a child arrangement resolution that’s in the best interests of your children.
To arrange an appointment with our professional child custody solicitors and receive free legal advice about your child custody issues, please don’t hesitate to give us a call today on 01244 506 444.
You can also get in touch by emailing your enquiry to info@fjsolicitors.co.uk or filling out and submitting our handy online contact form.
