Category Archives: Grandparents

Grandparents’ Association Regional Conference

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Last week specialist family law firm, Hartnell Chanot & Partners, hosted the inaugural Grandparents’ Association Regional Conference at Darts Farm.

The event created a forum for grandparents from across the South West, allowing them to come together, discuss their problems and gain useful information about their contact problems. Attendees travelled to the event from across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset.

The speakers at the event represented a wide range of organisations that frequently interact with grandparents who struggle to have regular contact or build relationships with their grandchildren. Among those in attendance were Emma Thompson, CAFCASS Officer; Hannah Penfold, Justices’ Legal Advisor; Stephen Sowden, Director of Hartnell Chanot & Partners as well as Monica Cockett & Penny Rogers from Devon Family Solutions.

The atmosphere on the day was fantastic; the wonderful estuary side location offered by Darts Farm played the perfect backdrop to a truly engaging event.

Stephen Sowden, Director of Hartnell Chanot commented: “Today’s event provided us with a fantastic opportunity to bring together a group of grandparents from across the region. This gathering allowed them to gain information that would help inform their situations, discuss the avenues available to them and the possible outcomes.”

Solicitor of the year joins specialist firm

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It has been an exciting 18 months of developments for Devon firm, Hartnell Chanot & Partners. The family law specialists have expanded their services from Exeter into nearby Plymouth and they have greatly increased their capacity to deliver their creative brand of family law service across each of their specialist practice teams. In return they have been rewarded for these efforts with a host of award nominations and industry recognition.

Just a week after being listed as a top tier firm in Legal 500, the leading directory for legal practitioners, Hartnell Chanot &Partners are proud to announce the latest addition to their ranks. Family Law Solicitor of the Year in 2011- Vanessa Priddis who will bring a wealth of experience and a nationally respected reputation to the firm.

Norman Hartnell, Director, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Vanessa joining the firm, she is widely respected within the family law community and she will help reinforce our status as a leading player in the South West’s family law market.” He went on to say: “Vanessa will be adding valuable scope to our team of highly skilled and experienced care lawyers and support staff. It would be fair to say that we will have one of, if not the best, childcare team in the country.”

Vanessa qualified as a solicitor in 1987 having studied at Guildford College of Law. She quickly built up a reputation for acting for children and parents in all types of cases before the court. During her distinguished career Vanessa has specialised in international adoption, surrogacy and care proceedings. She has contributed widely to the development of family law practice, serving on the local Resolution committee, the National Law Society sub committee on Children Law, working as a member of the Exeter Family Court Users Group, lecturing for Jordans Family Law and sitting as a deputy district judge.

Hartnell Chanot & Partners are known for their creative, problem solving approach to family law; an approach that seeks to provide amicable resolutions to a wide range of family disputes and relationship breakdowns. This reputation and well-rounded approach was one of the key factors that attracted Priddis to the team.

Vanessa stated: “I am really delighted to be joining Hartnell Chanot & Partners as I see their approach and commitment to all areas of family law to include those that are legally aided as mirroring my own. The team has a wealth of talent which I am excited to work alongside.”

Survive the summer with Relate

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Exeter and District relationship counselling and advice service Relate is offering a series of tips and advice to help families navigate the long summer holidays.

The Summer Holiday Survival Guide will be using Facebook as a forum to share advice tips and ideas to make this summer more fun and enjoyable for the whole family.

Veronica Beckett, Relate said: “The awful weather has been putting a strain on all of us recently and if you are dreading the schools breaking up for the long holiday and the likelihood of continuing rain, then it’s time to start planning now. ”

She also commented: “We are also hoping that people will come onto our page and share their ideas with other members of the community.”

To find out more or add some tips of you own click HERE

A relationship unlike any other – Grandparent and Grandchild

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Four out of ten grandparents will lose contact with their grandchildren upon the breakdown of the parents’ relationship. So as a grandparent is there anything that you can do to ensure that you maintain contact with your grandchildren?

As everybody knows, when a relationship breaks down it is often difficult for those involved not to take sides, particularly when it is your son or daughter’s relationship. This often then creates difficulties with regard to maintaining contact with your grandchildren, particularly when tensions are running so high. In these circumstances it just may not be possible to have constructive conversations amongst yourselves about contact with your grandchildren.

If this is the case then is there anything you can do? 
Well just like when parents have a dispute regarding contact with their children they may attend mediation to try and reach an agreement, without having to take any matters to Court. This is a possibility for you as grandparents as well, whereby an independent mediator will try and help you reach an agreement with the parents to enable you to maintain contact with your children. However if these discussions break down what do you do next?

Unlike parents who can make an application to Court to have contact with their children, grandparents must first obtain permission from the courts prior to making any application for contact. To some this seems wrong given the fact that step parents have an automatic right to apply for contact without having to apply for permission. However despite several recent highly publicised campaigns to have this extra step for grandparents removed, it does currently remain.

So is this permission difficult to obtain?

Don’t be disheartened, this extra step of seeking permission should not discourage grandparents from pursuing contact with their grandchildren. It is not a significant hurdle to obtain permission from the Court, providing your application is of a genuine nature. As a grandparent you will need only to show that you have a meaningful and important connection with a child. If you have been a regular figure in your grandchild’s life and have had regular involvement with them then this will usually be relatively easy to demonstrate. Once this permission is obtained you are then able to make an application to the Court to have contact with your grandchildren, in the same way as a parent can.

The Court fully recognises the important role that grandparents play in children’s lives. Despite the extra hurdle grandparents currently face, it is hoped that you will not be discouraged from taking steps, if necessary, to ensure that you are able to maintain that nurturing and special relationship with your grandchildren. A relationship which is unlike any other.

If you would like to learn more about your rights as grandparents and the options open to you, why not attend our Grandparents’ Association Regional Conference.

“The Importance of Being a Grandparent” – The Grandparents Association Annual Conference

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The Grandparents’ Association Annual Conference 2012 will be held on the 18th June 2012 at Legal and General, One Coleman Street, London.

The focus of this year’s conference will be on the importance of being a grandparent and will feature speakers and debate from a cross section of professionals who are working to highlight the importance of grandparents.

Family lawyer, Stephen Sowden, of Hartnell Chanot & Partners will be one of the speakers and will be sharing his experiences and providing advice on how grandparents can work with the legal system to resolve access issues.

Other speakers include:

  • Robert Halfon MP
  • Cathy Ashley, Family Rights Group

To see the full agenda and to register your place please click here.

The Grandparents Association was set up in 1987 by a group of grandparents whose grandchildren had been put into care, adopted from care or were not allowed any contact with them. It has grown into a thriving national charity, with around 1,000 members nationwide made up of grandparents and organisations. Its mission is to  improve the lives of children by working with and for all grandparents.

 

Grandparents Rights to Access in the News

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Last night the BBC South West news programme, Spotlight, featured the sad story of Derek Vaughan, 81, from Lynton who fought for many years for access to his grand daughter, Serena. Tragically Serena died at the age of 25 in January 2012.

Following a family break up Serena lived with her grandparents for most of the first five years of her life but then had to leave. Derek and his wife then spent many years battling to gain access to Serena whilst visits became fewer and fewer. Derek says of Serena, “She was frustrated beyond belief.”

Derek believes she took her own life and says, “the system let her down”.

Grandparents do not have an automatic right to contact with their grandchildren and when relationships break down losing contact with grandchildren causes great heartache for grandparents and their grandchildren. This is a particularly complex and emotive area of law.

Stephen Sowden, Director at Hartnell Chanot & Partners and comments: “Wherever possible we always encourage grandparents to try and talk things through with the grandchild’s mother or father first. If this fails mediation is an effective way in which to resolve contact issues and keep legal costs to a minimum.

If the situation cannot be dealt with amicably then court should be the last resort. The courts now recognise the huge role that grandparents have and the contribution they make. It is unlikely that court would refuse a grandparent access to grandchildren but there are no guarantees and the process can be costly.”

He added: “Over the past few years the profile of grandparents has been raised tremendously with many national organisations, such as The Grandparents Association,  highlighting the asset that grandparents are to the family. There is still a long way to go, however and we will continue to lobby the Government for more rights for grandparents.”

For more information on your rights as a grandparent and what to do if you are being denied access please visit the Grandparents area of our website.