Acting for a Mother where the Father had retained the child

Sandria acted for the Mother, in a case where the Father retained child after contact. She initially obtained immediate return with a Prohibited Steps order, then applied for a CAO to set defined contact, including a s. 7 Report.

The S. 7 Report recommended the child live with the Mother. It recommended contact be resumed, but highlighted concerns around the Father’s behaviour and inappropriate pressure placed on the child.

Evidence presented highlighted that the Father was economical with the truth, and in essence was using the child to disrupt the Mother’s life now that she had successfully moved on with her life with a new partner.

Sandria successfully retained the Prohibited Steps order, along with a resumption of contact with clear safety measures in place. In the final order, safeguards were in place along with directions to ensure appropriate boundaries to ensure that the child’s welfare was the paramount issue.