Though the shops are full of cards, chocolates, flowers and gifts ready for Mother's Day next Sunday, this can be a difficult day for some and of joy for others.
Mother’s day can be difficult for those who are childless; whose child has died; parents who are separated geographically from their child; or who are estranged from their adult children or grandchildren.
Provision for Mother's Day...
Not all mothers live with their children. The child(ren) may live with their father or other family members.
If there is a Court Order in place, such as a Child Arrangements Order or a Special Guardianship Order, then this may include a provision for Mother’s Day. It is common for such orders to stipulate that contact takes place on Mother’s Day, but each case will depend on its own specific circumstances.
Equally, if a child usually lives with his or her mother and has contact with his father on Sundays then there may be a provision that this does not include Mother’s Day. The first thing to do would be to check the terms of any Order.
If you are on reasonable terms with the other party, you may be able to ask them to vary the arrangements so that you can spend Mother’s Day with your child.
Mother's Day and Foster Care...
If your child is in foster care, or with family members and you have supervised contact, then it is unlikely special arrangements will be in place for Mother’s Day. Contact will take place as has previously been agreed.
I do not know of any Contact Centres locally that open on a Sunday and Local Authority staff will not work on Sundays to supervise contact. However, if there are family members that are assessed and deemed suitable to supervise contact, it is possible that arrangements could be made.
However, this is not always possible. It will depend on the circumstances of each case, and suitability of any proposed supervisors.
If there are people you would like the Local Authority to assess as supervisors for contact, you should make them aware of them as soon as possible so there is plenty of time to consider and determine whether they can supervise family time or not.
Foster carers will often encourage children to buy or make cards for Mother’s Day. There could also be special arrangements to celebrate Mother’s Day on a day where you do spend time with the children.
It is important to remember that not everyone is having the ‘perfect family day’ that the card shops try to promote or that may be portrayed on the likes of Facebook and Instagram.
Try to remember that Mother's Day is just one day and looks different for each family.
Next Steps...
If you need advice on this or any family matter, please contact one of our team on freephone 0800 011 6666 or via email at legal@timms-law.com. Alternatively, you can visit the family law section of our website.
