grand children

No idea Gilly but I'm sure someone will have. Just wanted to tell you how sad I am for you.

There are several threads dealing with this distressing subject on this same forum. You might like to have a look at these rather than have a new thread. You will find a lot of grans with similar experience who may have some useful information for you.

gillybean, I'm so sorry to hear that you are having these problems. There are many people on Gransnet who will be able to advise you about the legal aspect and the other issues that may come up. They will no doubt be replying soon. The best of wishes to you in the meantime.

gillybean have a look at the 'denied contact' or 'cut out of ther lives' threads which have numerous posts on them. There are several Gransnetters who are in your situation, and a few who have successfully regained contact.

gillybean, the short answer is that grandparents have no automatic legal right to see their grandchildren in Britain. The other threads will show you the ways in which other members have been able to re-establish contact.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to write a comment . i am new to the gransnet site (only joined yesterday) after another day of breaking my heart at another birthday come and gone and not seeing my grandson . i will have a look at the threads suggested ... thank you again everyone.

I'm so sorry hunni.

Not sure if this is of any help gillybean, I'm new to site as well. I recently signed up to an organisation called Families Need Fathers. They actually support grandparents too as I have discovered. It is such a minefield, very exhausting to say the least but I pray with a positive result. I am in the middle of preparing paperwork for the courts and one lady on this site is giving me loads of advice. She will be my mckenzie friend, look into it a little more to get more of an understanding. Admittedly I paid a fee of £39.00 for membership but already I feel worth it as I am getting sound advice and the support I desperately need. I havent seen my grandaughter since jan 12th after pretty much having her her whole life she's 4 this month. The mother is nuts to say the least, my son goes to court in March but I still feel it's important to try and get my own contact put in place. You have to request permission from the court first filing a C2 form and once that's approved you file a C100 form. Actually you file both forms at the same time, fee is £200. I am a nanna obsessed, my grandaughter and me have a stronger bond than she has with her mother sad but true. After having her 5 out of 7 days a week and sleeping her all weekend every weekend for so long now this has ripped my heart out. The reason contact stopped ??? wait for it.....My son went abroad to work for 8 months.....thats it....upon his return his ex said you don't deserve to see your child even though he spoke with her and skyped her every weekend....so because he lives with me mother has now stopped ALL CONTACT with my beautiful grandaughter. It breaks my heart, I know she will be looking for me everyday it's all she knows, terrible. Hope my bit of info can help you a little....

Thankyou*elana909*.I do hope you have a positive outcome.Yes I am a member of 'Families Need Fathers'.I've told my story on 'Denied Contact'
and 'Cut out of their lives'.
Although my son has been refused contact by Family Court I'm thinking of applying as a grandparent.I am daunted by the 24 page document and will certainly need a Mackenzie friend.I'm also afraid it will cause even more hostility.
All my good wishes

I can also recommend the Grandparents association who have a lot of fact sheets and advice. Elena 900 has also given the legal process. The advice I was given was to record every contact you have - write to all the parties concerned - always make it child centered not you centered. A make a statement how your grandchildren's life will be enhanced by contact with you. . Courts do look kindly on grandparents who want involvement in their grandchildren lives if you couch the reasons for contact from the child's perspective and not yours. In all things be reasonable and keep records. I can work (I still have contact with my grandchildren but it was hard won and took a lot of lip biting)

SJP I have found Grandparents Association fairly useless on the issue of no contact.
I joined last March and received a pack containing 2010 and 2011 issues of their magazine! very little news since.
An email in Dec last inviting me to a gala dinner –tickets £50.
Their template letter to child’s mother was inappropriate.I had already written to ex DIL in similar vein... was accused of harassment and told GS was not missing anything by not seeing me.
I had already taken most of the actions they advised.
I have had much more support and help from Gransnet and my local gp.
I will not be renewing my subscription.

Sorry you found the Grandparents association useless. I attended a seminar recently and met other grandparents with similar stories and a very good local solicitor who gave good advice. I also get 5% reduction in solicitor's bills which is useful. However each experience is different.

Grandparents have rights, any Grandparent can apply to the court for an access order.

I feel so sorry for grandparents who don't see their grandchildren but does going down the Court route not make matters more difficult with the parent concerned ?

Sadly I think it does but what on earth is left? We waited 4 years seems very unlikely my daughter will soften now.

If my OH would agree I would definitely apply for contact order.

celebgran have pm'd you x glamma

I think,as the law stands, you have no legal right to see the children but they have a right to see their grandparents. had to look into this as I am estranged from two of my GC and have been for 5 years. The problem is that if I get a paper to go to court for this right of theirs it will cause them so much trauma as has been proved when my son gained contact with them (going to court 4 times to fight for his right to see them) and was given contact but the mother went against the court every time. I just hope and pray that one day - when they are old enough - they will find us. They are only in the next town. The mother is vindictive and has no reason on earth to not allow them to see their father. She has told the children that he will steal them away and they will never see her again. The children are truly used a weapons and have been alienate from their paternal family.

Look up[ Family Law

Grandparents have to apply for leave to apply to court flower.

We are in turmoil as want do this but it is our daughter! Ruled by s I law but still her decision. Judges do award contact to grandparents if in best interest of child just so very sad if comes to that !

There is no law that states grandchildren have a legal right to see their grandparents.
The importance of the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren will be stressed when a couple are separating and in a Parenting Agreement, but it is not bound by law.

Yes, did look into this celebgran but again it would have been just too traumatic for the children. My ex DiL seems to be completely losing it as far as we are all concerned and it is rubbing off on our DGD.

We were advised to submit a (I think) C100 form to apply for contact but like I said we decided against it, as much as we love and miss the children it would do them no favours at all. We would use a MacKenzie Friend tho if we did decide to try for contact.

Yes I had a letter from. Hon.Michael Gove MP no less that I had the right to apply for permission to apply (keep up there!) to Family Court for contact with my GS.

But doing that in the face of the implacable hostility of ex DIl and of allegation that GS does not wish to see us feels like battering against a brick wall and possibly causing even more animosity.

So for now I'm just lighting a candle and sending loving thoughts to them - and to all you GNs who are missing your GC.

Maniac that sounds lovely candle and loving thoughts.

Our little ones are 4 and 2 but level of hatred from my daughter towards me is very scared in that she seems determined to make us suffer why we may never know!

No one wins and 2 little girls miss out on so much love and a whole family! So sad