Re-establishing contact with an alienated Father

Marie represented a Father who had separated with his wife when their child was one year old. Although contact with the child had progressed for nearly a year, the Mother then refused contact and made allegations that domestic abuse had occurred during the relationship. She also moved home and could not be located for almost a year.

At the point at which Marie took over the case, the proceedings had been on-going for 18 months and her client had not seen his child for nearly three years.

At a contested interim contact hearing, contact was ordered. By this time, the Father (having accepted there was verbal domestic abuse and some pushing and grabbing – but that it was by both of them) had voluntarily completed a six month Domestic Violence Perpetrator Programme. The Father having successfully completed the DVPP, an interim contact order was made. Contact will be re-introduced in a supervised setting over a six month period which will be reviewed by the Court. Marie and her client are optimistic that by that time an order for staying weekend contact and holidays can be made.