Morning Tracyb
Sorry to hear your sad tale, I have only read a couple of the reply posts, but need to share my story, briefly, with you.
My D&GD lived with me, we had a very special and loving bond, I chose her name and my D named her after me, her second and last name, my only names. Her now husband came along, lived with my D in my house for 6mnths, then they moved into their own home when she fell pregnant with his child. I was at both births of my GC and loved them both with all of my heart & soul. I arranged & paid for their wedding and when they moved into their own home, I gave them £5,000. I was later to be called mean by nasty s.i.l
Whilst on holiday with my other D, which I had invited them to come too, my now estD & nasty husband had a big argument, he was phoning me every half hour, till we packed up and came home to help. My D stayed with me for a few days whilst I tried to mediate between them. When I said to him that my D would get custody of my GD [not his C] therefore my GS [his C] and it's the mother & C that stay in the family home, it's the man that leaves [said in a nice way] his hate jumped from my D to me, he took her back and cut me out!
I went to mediation, but they refused. I then went to court and didn't have a lawyer. First time they didn't show, second they contested, third; the Judge believed his lies and deceit, so I didn't get the permission I needed to go to the main court to applied for the visitation order. Before all this I did everything to try and reconcile, apologizing for anything I had done or said, asking for a family meeting, asking my family members to help, nothing worked. Eventually all my estD family have been cut out and we haven't seen her or my precious GC for 3yrs 2mnths+.
Lots more to the story, but my advise is don't go to court, it makes it a trillion time worst, only way is to hope they will have a change of heart, unfortunately they may not! I even had a warning of an harassment order given to me by a police visit when I went to the park adjacent to my GD pre-school a day after Mothering Sunday, they had told the police I had tried to kidnap my GD, when I hadn't even said 'hello', as my D turned back into the school before I could!
Sorry I've started this now, it's just run on too long, sorry! But best of luck I hope you get to see your GC again, win them with love, not with the courts!