Is your name on the birth certificate?

Wow I dont know how it is there, but I know if your name is on the birth cert then by all rights you have grounds for joint custody, unless there is some hidden agenda for the divorce...as in mine, I was not even allowed to move to a different city/state/country without haveing legal steps taken and I had my son all the time, my ex was not allowed to see him without supervision until he took domestic violence and alcohol rehab classes...do you pay child support????

hun as you are on the birth cert for your child born in 2005 you by law have paternal rights. The law changed in april 2003, and since then any child born after that date and with both parents on the cert. then both parents have legal responsability

good luck btw

I have just thought though. if she does move back to GB then she will be doing you a favour. I am pretty sure that if she does that she will have to register her and the kids as living there. therefore by them being residents of GB you have a right to take this matter up with british law as opposed to scottish law. something maybe worth thinking about. i know that a friend of mine from kilcaldy managed to gain joint custody by that loop hole.

Prob good news for you:

I'm on the 'other side' of this situation ie a single mum, pretty acrimonious with ex and he ISN'T on the birth certificate. Have no legal arrangement in place but when I got telephone advice off a solicitor last year, she said that it is not MY place to award parental responsibility. The father/you can apply to the courts to be awarded p.r. and it is up to the judge, not us (the mothers).

Unless you have been violent or pose a threat to the children then there is practically no way the court will not award you p.r, apparently.

I'm in Scotland as you'll see and not sure if/how it is different further south.

You are likely to have more rights than you think, everyone thinks dads have no rights but it's changing fast; I for example put it in writing to my son's nursery that nobody but me should be allowed to collect son. I thought this was standard practice for women with potentially dodgy exes. However the nursery staff informed that if his dad wants to take him they are not allowed to stop him.

BTW I wasn't doing this out of bitterness I was distraught, thinking my son might be snatched and taken 'away', you get my drift.

Thx for the updates Blueyes37, this will be useful for when my ex and my eventually get divorced. We have 2 children who stay with me atm, i however do get worried if i piss her off that she will just take the kids and i wont see them again.

Hope it all goes well for you please keep us posted if u can

GL

hi all single i no how u all feel my ex took my kids to devon a i live in london thay dont realise we love our kids a yes it does really hurt its like wat is the point off going on but u do 4 the sake of my boy,s i would like to talk with other dad,s as my friens just dont understand me im hurt very hurt .e mail me terry.r.2@hotmail.co.uk