My ex is making up allegations about my parenting and preventing me seeing the children, what can I do?

When two parents separate, lives are changed forever. At the heart of the situation is – and always should be – the children of the relationship.

It is generally the case that children benefit from maintaining contact with both parents. However, there are situations in which it would not be in their best interests, and family lawyers like us are engaged to help ensure that the child is protected.

The fact that contact is capable of being denied to a parent can unfortunately be used to manipulate situations. It is quite easy for a mother to allege that a father smells of alcohol whenever he comes to collect the child, or for a father to allege that the mother simply leaves the child to their own devices. Of course there are cases in which extremely serious accusations are made by one against the other and the relevant authorities may then investigate to safeguard the child.

Generally speaking, though, allegations that one parent is unfit to care for, or otherwise spend time with, their child are capable of being resolved between the parties – sometimes with the help of a mediator. The first step would be to talk things through with your former partner. Where that is not a feasible option (and it often isn’t) a letter from you or from your solicitor would be the best starting point.

We always recommend that clients do everything they can to resolve issues between themselves however sometimes it is necessary to ask the courts to intervene. There are various applications that can be made, depending on the contact arrangement that is in place, and we’ll work with you to present the best possible case.

For advice on your situation, please contact a member of our family department at family@bsandi.co.uk or call for an appointment on 01264 353411.