Summer 2024 - Filed c100 + c1a, contact fully cut off from August.
October 2024 - First hearing, court make an absolute mess out of things. Despite CAFCASS report in my favour, no allegations against me etc, they decide to not order contact at this stage and order a 'determination for fact finding hearing' for November despite both sides not requesting one. Both sides to fill out a schedule of allegations and submit to the court. We agree every Saturday from 3-6 pm (reluctantly), ex immediately withdraws the agreement 2 days later.
46 allegations made by ex in the schedule, not a single one is serious. Mostly either made up or small petty things such as cancelling Netflix, dropping my daughter off late etc.
A few days before the November hearing, I find out my barrister can't make it so I get appointed head of chambers last minute.
November 2024 - Both sides + magistrates agree to no fact finding, and the magistrates agree that I need to see my daughter asap (who is almost 2 now). Her barrister kicks up a fuss saying that if I see her, it should be supported within contact centre. It is ordered that I will have the first 3 times in a contact centre for a minimum of 2 hours, then outside of a contact centre going forward (CC to be paid for by her lol). After this, it moves to the original agreement of 3-6 every Saturday (I knew agreeing to this before would come back to bite me, makes me look like I was happy with a crappy agreement to begin with).
CAFCASS section 7 is bypassed, waiting list is too long and deemed not necessary in this case. Another hearing has been ordered for January, which is to be a 'dispute resolution appointment'. Confused about this, legal team telling me it has the potential to be a final hearing. However, I've gone from having my daughter 3 days a week to now seeing her for 3 hours a week. How will I have a chance of winning 50/50 shared care at this rate? It seems like too much of a drastic jump...
Also, if it's not the final...I am reluctant to use a barrister. I know my ex will not agree with anything near that I am looking for, so what is the point?
October 2024 - First hearing, court make an absolute mess out of things. Despite CAFCASS report in my favour, no allegations against me etc, they decide to not order contact at this stage and order a 'determination for fact finding hearing' for November despite both sides not requesting one. Both sides to fill out a schedule of allegations and submit to the court. We agree every Saturday from 3-6 pm (reluctantly), ex immediately withdraws the agreement 2 days later.
46 allegations made by ex in the schedule, not a single one is serious. Mostly either made up or small petty things such as cancelling Netflix, dropping my daughter off late etc.
A few days before the November hearing, I find out my barrister can't make it so I get appointed head of chambers last minute.
November 2024 - Both sides + magistrates agree to no fact finding, and the magistrates agree that I need to see my daughter asap (who is almost 2 now). Her barrister kicks up a fuss saying that if I see her, it should be supported within contact centre. It is ordered that I will have the first 3 times in a contact centre for a minimum of 2 hours, then outside of a contact centre going forward (CC to be paid for by her lol). After this, it moves to the original agreement of 3-6 every Saturday (I knew agreeing to this before would come back to bite me, makes me look like I was happy with a crappy agreement to begin with).
CAFCASS section 7 is bypassed, waiting list is too long and deemed not necessary in this case. Another hearing has been ordered for January, which is to be a 'dispute resolution appointment'. Confused about this, legal team telling me it has the potential to be a final hearing. However, I've gone from having my daughter 3 days a week to now seeing her for 3 hours a week. How will I have a chance of winning 50/50 shared care at this rate? It seems like too much of a drastic jump...
Also, if it's not the final...I am reluctant to use a barrister. I know my ex will not agree with anything near that I am looking for, so what is the point?