My client posted a blog regarding her experiences with Leave to Remove and the court process. The following is the post:
Once deciding to take the steps needed to return to my home country with my children I looked for as much information as I could gather and imagined what life could be like if I were to return home. At this time I was plagued with a lot of doubt. I went from very hopeful excitement as I projected my “could be” life in my own mind to spiraling feelings that I would never be able to return home with my children. It didn’t help that I was told by many that if I felt so strongly about returning to my home country I should just go home and leave my children in the UK. Such comments fueled the doubt fire at a time when all of my strength was needed to pursue the legal battle.
The Leave to Remove process involves a lot of preparation in proving what support will be available as well as the practical aspects of moving and their feasibility. A plan must be documented of how exactly one will manage to a) make the physical move b) afford the costs of such a move and c) show how the move would benefit the children and/or how the children’s would benefit from moving opposed to staying where they were. Taking the time to consider all of these points and to document in a way that will allow a judge to envisage the benefits may turn out to be more of a task that first anticipated. At this time it is imperative to have a support network and to remain focused on the final goal....a new life.
I trolled the internet one night looking for something...anything...that would shed some light on the dark tunnel that one enters when the court proceedings take over family matters. I found a post from Family Law Week.
The link above was the something I was looking for. I took the advice I was given from this lawyer and today I am writing this blog from Canada. Although the lawyer above was defending his ex wife's application for Leave to Remove. I felt he understood the frustrations of family court. I thought he could help me. He did.
Hope
For anyone that is contemplating Leave to Remove, to anyone who might need some support whilst going through the process this blog was written with you in mind. I will be posting to provide support and any information that I may have gathered in my year in the UK courts. As it is Thanksgiving in Canada today I am so grateful to give thanks to my children's and my Thanksgiving in our new home.
