Is it ever right to go on the run with your child?

In the past week you cannot have missed the coverage of the mum who took her son after a custody battle.  Away from the sensationalism of the press stories, I thought it would be worth taking a look at how this all came about and where it went so wrong for the son at the centre of it all.

Rebecca Minnock had a son, Ethan, with Roger Williams,  and when the relationship broke down the parties were awarded joint custody.  However, Ms Minnock did not keep to her side of the arrangement, frequently keeping Ethan away from Mr Williams even though they had both agreed in court to the arrangements.  She also fabricated allegations against Mr Williams in order to ‘frustrate contact’ with his son.

On 27 May this year a district judge ruled Ethan should live with his father after finding Ms Minnock had made false allegations and obstructed contact between the father and son.

It was at this time that Ms Minnock went on the run with Ethan.  She knew, of course, that this was no way to progress anything - and it may well have made matters worse, as the courts will take a dim view of anyone so obviously undermining a court order.

Going forward, it will be up to the courts to decide how best to allow Ms Minnock contact with her son.  The overall  is what is in Ethan’s best interests.

As a Resolution accredited specialist in Children Law, I would have advised Ms Minnock not to take the law into her own hands - the courts have the child’s best interests at heart, and they make their rulings for a reason.  I am also a specialist in the field of child abduction so if you find yourself in Roger Williams' situation, get in touch with me as soon as you can - speed is of the essence.

If you have any children issues that you are concerned about - whether you are a mother, a father or a grandparents, do contact me.