I’m now into my fourth week on the job and have taken the opportunity to meet some of the various volunteer groups within FNF and to work on our 3-year strategic plan. That is still taking shape but one of the key priorities, as well as improving our internal organisation and external campaigning, will be to support our branches and volunteers with better communication, learning and sharing. A monthly update from me in this newsletter should also help with that.

As well as working with the board on aspects of the internal organisation since starting, myself and our chair, Paul O’Callaghan, have managed to secure meetings with senior officials within the Ministry of Justice and Department for Work of Pensions; we see these as key, ongoing relationships and will be using them to push the case for reform, both to the family court system and to child maintenance. As well as providing vital support to our service users, helping to change the current system will be key to moving to proper shared parenting in this country.

 

New ‘Practice Direction’ on Non-Molestation Orders. LINK 

 

A hearing by a senior judge, that they are being abused, was reported in the last Newsletter.  

 

Perhaps as a result, the ‘President of the Family Division of the High Court’ – in plain English, the boss of the family courts, has issued a new ‘Practice Direction’. How NMOs should be handled. Lawyers and others with a stake in deploying tactics against the other side will not want to apply it. It restricts their moves. 

 

But if you are affected, read it. And if you are, or fear you may be a target, ensure it is applied. 

 

The Family Court and Domestic abuse: achieving cultural change (LINK) 

 

Having reviewed the report, there are some positive features which we recognise, with reservations, such as the need for greater monitoring, data collection and analysis of domestic abuse within the court system.  However, this is far outweighed by the negatives.

 

By the report’s own admission, the evidence on which many of the recommendations are based is self-selecting and potentially biased, it views genuine concerns of alienating behaviours as no more than a mechanism to cover abuse and there is no recognition of the harm done to children from such behaviours and contact denial. 

 

There are many others, and we are drafting a fuller response to follow.

 

14th September:  Protest against abductions to Poland  

 

An activist within our thriving group dealing with International Abduction and Contact Issues is organising a protest at the Polish Government’s obstruction of international law. They block the return of children for their cases to be decided in their country of ‘habitual residence’ and obstruct arrangements for them to see their ‘left behind’ parent. 

 

It will be a small, peaceful event but also an opportunity for people affected and supporters to be together. 

 

Details still to be finalised but contact Joel.lindop.vol@fnf.org.uk if you want to support the cause.  

For contact and info: http://plymouth.fnf.org.uk/

 

After eighteen meetings at Raffles Social Club, Mutley Plain, we have moved on.  What started as a scramble to find another club back room after Raffles reorganised its upstairs function room into a games room ended with effective corporate sponsorship from one of Plymouth’s principal companies. 

Today’s Family Lawyer reports that family court delays see children waiting a year to finalise living arrangements LINK

 

This is based on new data supplied by the Ministry of Justice and shows an upward trend since 2016.

 

This is not news to our members who regularly report delays of much more than one year. What’s more the number of cases where neither party was represented was 40%, an increase of 300% since legal aid was cut in 2013. These delays simply cements into place the existing living arrangements for the child and provides an opportunity for unprincipled parents to alienate their children against the non-resident parent.

 

These court delays are a form of child abuse infrequently considered in CAFCASS reports.  Court delay and contact refusal by the residential parents for no good reason is against the welfare of our children, and serves to exhaust the capacity, mentally and financially, of the other party to continue. It is the courts and CAFCASS who are the main culprits. 

The police have been told to downgrade calls about mental health emergencies. LINK

 

This is part of a trend. All public authorities are cash strapped. They are having to cut back and often eliminate expenditures on things that they are not legally obliged to provide. They are often unable to fulfil even those properly. 

 

FNF has significant reserves, but we will now be spending more than our income. We need to revert that if we are to keep him in the medium term, let alone do more. 

 

We need more members!!

 

A subscription to FNF costs less than 8 minutes of the time of a mid-range solicitor. Good value? We know so. This subscription gives you access to a forum run by professionals, solicitor's clinic in London, discounts for our courses and supervised contact in the community, to mention a few.

 

 

But what you personally get out of it is not the main reason for joining. The principal one should be this – to help reduce the risk that our children (especially sons) will encounter the same problems as we do now, and, of course, to increase children's welfare after divorce of separation. 

 

 

Is finding new members, donating and renewing, something we should be doing for them?

 

 

Alienation Support Group – A growing and supportive group. (LINK)

The Alienation Support Group meets online on the last Monday of every month. There is also a monitored WhatsApp support group. You can join the group by clicking the link above, where details of the meeting will be posted closer to the date.

 

Surviving Separation – Putting the children first (LINK)

The next delivery of this popular 8-week online course will be starting on September 5th. Details of the course and the opportunity to sign up are available on the website on the above link. All welcome, discount for members (HINT – join first then apply for the course – double discount).

 

 

PA SUPPORT GROUP 

SURVIVING COURSE