Birmingham ASP Support Workshop attended by Nilay Shastry

Nilay Shastry, of solicitors Miles Pierce, helped out at our November Support Workshop in Birmingham and gave sound and very welcome guidance to several parents.   His approach to family law matters chimed well with ASP's philosophy.  He also believes in the importance of not dragging cases out. 

Click here to visit Miles Pierce Solicitors (Nov 2011)

Family Justice Review: Interim Report

The Family Justice Review have today published their Interim Report on the Family Justice system.  The Interim Report identifies that the Family Justice System in relation to Private Law is largely adversarial and that it does little to resolve parental conflict.  Whilst the Interim Report reluctantly accepts that a massive power imbalance exisits between the resident parent and the non-resident parent, the Interim Report recommends that a presumption of shared parenting not be enshrined in law.  The Report makes clear that it is the childs right to a relationship with both parents following divorce or parental separation.

For the full Interim Report, click on the following link FJR Interim Report (March 2011)

communitycare.co.uk - MPs told that Cafcass is 'beyond reform' and must be abolished

Family courts body Cafcass is now beyond reform and should be abolished, a committee of MPs was told this week.

Appearing before the Justice Select Committee, Martha Cover, respresenting the Interdisciplinary Alliance for Children - a group of 18 organisations, including Nagalro and the Association of Lawyers for Children - told MPs: "We have considered the possibility of reform rather than abolition, but we have come to the conclusion that [Cafcass' inability] to change to meet the concerns of the other partners in the family justice system is such that we simply have to start again."

For the full article, click on the following link communitycare (25/03/11)

ASP attends the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Family Law and the Court of Protection

On Tuesday, 15th February 2011, Graham Porter, one of the ASP Trustees, travelled to London to attend the evening meeting of the grandly named, All Part Parliamentary Group on Family Law and the Court of Protection.  Described on the invitation as a Speaker Meeting, we were obliged to listen to four individuals (one of whom was our own John Baker - another ASP Trustee) holding forth on the following topic:

Shared Parenting: Panacea or Placebo?

For the full article, click one following link ASP  (15/02/11)

CAFCASS Newsletter - Issue 2

Cafcass issue second monthly newsletter.  Ofsted rate North and South of Tyne as making good progress.  

For the Newsletter, Click on the following link:  cafcass newsletter 2 (Jan 2011)

CAFCASS Newsletter - Issue 1

Cafcass issue first monthly newsletter.  Each month cafcass will issue a newsletter bringing updates on their work with children and families across England.

For the Newsletter, Click on the following link:  cafcass newsletter 1 (Nov/Dec 2010)

independent.co.uk - Divorcing parents 'damage children in legal war'

Children are routinely used as "the battlefield and ammunition" for well-educated parents to wage legal war after separation, England's most senior family court judge said. Sir Nicholas Wall said separated couples were often 'fighting the battles' of their relationship while using their children as 'both the battlefield and the ammunition'.  He added: "If a child's mother makes it clear to the child that his or her father is worthless - and vice versa - the child's sense of self-worth can be irredeemably damaged." Sir Nicholas said one concept that may emerge from a review of family law was a presumption of "shared residence" for the children when a couple separate, where they live with either parent for half the time.

For the full article, click on the following link: independent.co.uk (21/09/10)

guardian.co.uk - More than 40% of domestic violence victims are male, report reveals

Campaign group Parity claims assaults on men by wives and girlfriends are often ignored by police and media

About two in five of all victims of domestic violence are men, contradicting the widespread impression that it is almost always women who are left battered and bruised, a new report claims.

Men assaulted by their partners are often ignored by police, see their attacker go free and have far fewer refuges to flee to than women, says a study by the men's rights campaign group Parity.

For the full article, click on the following link: guardian.co.uk (05/09/10)

Family Law - Shared Parenting Bill presented in the House of Commons

A private members bill on shared parenting was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons by Brian Binley, Conservative MP for Northampton South.

For the full article, click on the following link: FamilyLaw (14/07/10)

ITV Media Appeal - ITV are looking for separated parents in conflict over parenting to take part in a TV programme called Superdaddy

Are you a parent who is battling with an ex-partner over the way your child is raised? Are you finding it difficult to agree on anything - from access arrangements to an unpopular new partner; or are decisions about
schooling, diet and general discipline the problem?  Do you shy away from discussing key parenting issues because you can't face another argument?  Are you struggling to agree on the best way forward as separated parents - but accept that your child is your priority?

If that sounds familiar, Superdaddy could help. Fronted by TV presenter and father-of-two Jeff Brazier, backed up by parenting experts and psychotherapists, Superdaddy is a new Living programme which aims to bring former couples together for the good of their children. Jeff and his team can help you sort out existing dysfunctional arrangements and draw up parenting plans which will put the child at the heart of the relationship.  We are currently looking for couples to take part in a new six-part series. For more information please contact Melissa on 0207 157 4212 or melissa.timoney@itv.com   (article posted 10/04/10)

ASP Letter to The Telegraph following the appointment of Sir Nicholas Wall as President of the Family Division

Sir,
The alleged opposition by Jack Straw to the promotion of Sir Nicholas Wall (Comment 14th April) is confirmation enough that his appointment as President of the Family Division is to be wholly welcomed. If Sir Nicholas Wall's reputation as a robust critic of the status quo holds true, then the long overdue reform of both Public Law and Private Law is something that many will look forward to.

Graham Porter.
Trustee of The Association for Shared Parenting

timesonline.co.uk - Sir Nicholas Wall named as new family justice head after months of uncertainty

Sir Nicholas Wall, who was initially rejected by the Justice Secretary, has been named President of the Family Division

An unprecedented impasse between judges and the Government has ended with the announcement today of the the new head of the family justice system.  Sir Nicholas Wall, whose name was initially rejected by Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is to succeed Sir Mark Potter as next President of the Family Division.

For the full article, click on the following link: timesonline (31/03/10)

BBC: File on 4 - Alarm over Cafcass's 'child court crisis'   

Anthony Douglas tells File on 4 that cases had to be subject to triage, with the higher priority cases getting urgent attention. He added: "Unfortunately, some of the lower priority cases take months to deal with."   Cafcass insiders claim the service's official caseload figures are concealing the true picture of the crisis because staff members are being given a massive caseload.

To read the full article and listen to the broadcast, click here: BBC (23/02/10)

ASP Open Meeting on 25 March 2010

At a Special Open Meeting organised by the Association for Shared Parenting in Birmingham on 25th March, the guest speaker was Anthony Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of CAFCASS. Addressing an audience drawn from the legal profession and voluntary organisations, he emphasized the importance of the role of the voluntary sector in supporting people caught up in the family law system. A precis of Mr Douglas's talk can be viewed by clicking on the following link:  ASP Open Meeting

MailOnline - Judge orders boy, 11, to live with father he hates and hasn't seen for four years

Appeal Court Judges upheld an earlier ruling at Coventry Crown Court by Judge Clifford Bellamy to switch residency of the boy from his mother to the father. 

The appeal judges called the boy's feelings of hate for his father ‘irrational' and said he would suffer long-term emotional and behavioural problems if they were not reunited.

For the full article, click on the following link: mailonline  (24/01/10)

guardian.co.uk - Grandparents get easier route to see children when families split

Children's secretary Ed Balls to abolish legal obstacle as he places grandparents at centre of family strategy for election

A legal obstacle is to be abolished to make it easier for hundreds of thousands of grandparents to gain access to their grandchildren when contact is denied after divorce and family breakdowns, the government will announce today.

For the full article, click on the following link: guardian  (20/01/10)

cypnow.co.uk - Cafcass's London service receives six inadequate ratings  

Cafcass's service in London has been criticised in a damning Ofsted report.

The court advisory service, which assists children and families across the capital's 33 local authorities, was given the inspectorate's lowest grade on six counts.

For the full article, click on the following link:  cypnow   (12/01/10)

To read the full report, click on the following link: ofsted  (11/01/10)

ASP attends CAFCASS Open Board Meeting 11 December 2009

Further supplies of two excellent CAFCASS booklets were requested for distribution to our clients and in turn, the new ASP leaflet was well received.  Graham Porter (12/12/09)    

cypnow.co.uk - Ofsted rates Lancashire and Cumbria Cafcass service as inadequate

Lancashire and Cumbria is the latest area to come under fire from Ofsted's inspectors for providing inadequate Cafcass services.

An Ofsted inspection report into the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service in Lancashire and Cumbria revealed significant failings in reducing the time children are waiting to receive services. The inspection report, published today, also raised concerns that children are being left at risk of harm while waiting for a service.

For the full artcile, click on the following link: cypnow (07/12/09)

To read the full report, click on the following link: ofsted (December 2009) 

timesonline.co.uk - It's too easy to blame dads

When separated families fall out of touch, it’s easy to find fault with others. But there is plenty all parties can do

For the full article, click on the following link: timesonline.co.uk  (17/11/09) 

telegraph.co.uk - Third of family break-up children lose contact with fathers in 'failing' court system

Tens of thousands of children a year are losing contact with their fathers because of “failing” family court system and disastrous custody arrangements, a study has found.

For the full article, click on the following link:  telegraph.co.uk  (16/11/09)

Bailii - Judge transfers residency of child affected by parental alienation to the father

Lord Justice Wall has upheld the decision by Judge Bond of Bournemouth District Regsitry to transfer the residency of an eleven year old boy to his father.  The mother had over the years alienated the child against the father, to the point that the child now refused to see his father.  A child psychiatrist appointed by the court believed that the child had suffered "emotional harm".  In the judge's opinion, if the child stayed with his mother, he would never see his father again due to the mothers hostility towards the father and continuing alienation. 

R (A Child), Re [2009] EWHC B38 (Fam) 

For the full judgement, click on the following link: Bailii   (06/11/09)      

cypnow - Ofsted insepction rates Cafcass services in the Staffordshire and the Marches area as inadequate

Significant concerns have been raised about safeguarding practices in Cafcass services in the Staffordshire and the Marches area

To read the full article, click here: cypnow (03/11/09)

To read the full report, click on the following link: ofsted (03/11/09)

cypnow.co.uk - Conservative conference: Tories favour shared parenting after break-up

Couples who break up should by default have shared parenting responsibility, according to the shadow children's minister.

For full article, click on the following link:   cypnow.co.uk  (08/10/09)

Communitycare - Cafcass cuts jobs to tackle post-Baby P budget crisis  

CAFCASS is cutting almost 70 jobs, as it looks to balance its budget following huge extra pressures caused by a surge in care applications.

For the full article, click on the following link:   Communitycare  (25/09/09)

timesonline.co.uk - Retired Judge - 'Since my son died we aren't allowed to see our grandchildren'

A retired judge, whose son died of cancer, went to court over contact with his grandchildren. The hearing descended into a shouting match. He explains why the system is flawed.

For the full article, click on the following link:   Timesonline   (24/09/09)

BBC - Dads to get six months paternity leave, six months after birth

Fathers will be able to take six months' paternity leave, the government has announced, six months after the birth of their child.

For the full article, click on the following link:   BBC News  (15/09/09)  

This is northdevon.co.uk - Judge says proceed without Cafcass report

A JUDGE asked five sets of North Devon parents going through family court proceedings to find a solution without a full Cafcass report because of problems facing the organisation.

For the full article, click on the following link:  northdevon.co.uk   (03/09/09)

cypnow.co.uk - Ofsted Inspection slams North Yorkshire Cafcass as inadequate

The Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass) in North Yorkshire and Humberside is failing to drive up low standards, with problems across a number of areas of service delivery and management, according to a damning inspection report from Ofsted.

For the full article, click on the following link: cypnow (10/08/09)

To read the full report, click on the follwoing link: ofsted (07/08/09)

cypnow.co.uk - Ofsted finds that South Yorkshire Cafcass fails to communicate

The Cafcass service in South Yorkshire is still failing to provide a transparent service to its users, a year after Ofsted inspectors slammed the service. 

The report criticised the service for being guided by "practitioners' personal preferences" rather than a common assessment framework.  It states: "The assessment framework is not in place and Cafcass acknowledges that service users are still not consistently informed of the content of reports."

For the full article, click on the following link: cypnow (24/07/09)

To read the full report, click on the follwoing link: ofsted (23/07/09)

CAFCASS - Far South West Service rated inadequate, the third such judgement this year for Cafcass, including the services at Birmingham and the Black Country, Durham and Teesside.

For the full report, click on the following link: ofsted (10/07/09)

BBC (The One Show) Why don't men report domestic violence? 

One in six men will be abused by their female partner (BBC Video).

For the full article and to watch the video, click on the following link:  BBC - The One Show  (05/03/09) 

communitycare.co.uk - Cafcass receives fourth damning inspection in a year 

Cafcass has received its fourth damning inspection report from Ofsted in a year.

The Birmingham and Black Country service was rated inadequate overall after inspectors found it was failing to meet minimum standards in key services.

For the full article, click here: communitycare (17/02/09)

To read the full report, click on the following link: ofsted  (Feb 2009)

communitycare.co.uk - Chief executive vows third damning Ofsted report this year will be the last

Cafcass chief excutive Anthony Douglas has hit back after Ofsted published its third damning verdict this year on the family court body's private law practice.

For the full article, click on the following link:  Communitycare    (05/08/08)

Family Law Week - Ofsted finds East Midlands CAFCASS "inadequate"

Ofsted has published its first report on a CAFCASS team as part of the agency's expanded remit and has found that the East Midlands area was "inadequate".

For the full article, click on the following link:  Family Law Week   (18/02/08)