Contact restoration outweighed by mother and child's opposition

Even where there was material to form the view that restoration of contact between an eight year old child and her father could have some merit, the absence of any established relationship, the mother’s attitude towards reinstating contact and the child’s own views militated against it.

The father’s failure to attend and commit to contact in the past was unlikely to have been eradicated. Therefore it was not in the child’s best interests for direct contact to take place, but indirect contact should be allowed by way of the child receiving presents on her birthday and Christmas, and monthly letters, and for the father to receive school reports and a photograph on at least an annual basis.

See C v W 2016 GWD 11-216.