Mother Loses Appeal To Retain Contact With Daughter

A court has told a woman that she will have to undertake psychological therapy before she can resume contact with her daughter.

The woman was described as “emotionally fragile”. She had tried to commit suicide after separating from her partner, who was the father of her daughter.

The court granted an order saying that the daughter should live with her father.

The mother was granted supervised contact at a contact centre. Later, however, the centre refused to arrange any further meetings because of the mother’s aggressive and argumentative behaviour.

At a final court hearing, the father gave evidence that at several contact sessions, the mother had lost control of her emotions and had put her own needs above those of her daughter.

There was expert medical evidence that the mother was emotionally fragile and that her judgment became impaired during episodes of extreme anger.

There was also evidence from the child’s guardian recommending that contact should be suspended.

The judge said that the father had done everything he could to help mother and daughter to have contact. However, this could no longer continue because of the mother’s behaviour.

The court held that contact could not be resumed until the mother had successfully undertaken psychological therapy.

That decision has now been upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Please contact us if you would like more information about family law issues.