Worcestershire | Archive | 2003 | November | 07
From the archive, first published Friday 7th Nov 2003.
I HAVE been made aware of the recent articles in your newspaper, by a number of Fathers-4-Justice members who live in your region.
As one of two Midland co-ordinators for this pressure group, I would like to give you some details.
A simple message needs to be understood by your readers, irrelevant if they are married, have children with a partner, of are separated from a partner where children are involved.
The simple message is that as a parent in the UK, you have no rights to see your children. Many parents are naive to this fact and when separation occurs the first thing they do is `invest' in a solicitor.
Common view from F4J members is that this is often the worst thing that you can do.
Coupled with this is the fact the children's act of 1989 which suggests that a child should have "reasonable contact" with both parents after separation is open to interpretation by judges and Cafcass workers.
The UK family law in this country is therefore creating a fatherless society for its children, as 97% of absent parents are fathers.
The ageing judges are of the `mould' where the mother and father roles as parents were traditionally different. In contemporary society however, both parents work and therefore both parents are involved with family issues.
The law in this country is old fashioned and that is why it is creating a "social cancer". If you are not affected yourself, you will know somebody who is.
For more information on F4J, please see www.Fathers-4-Justice.org
FRASER CHATBURN,
F4J Co-ordinator.
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