Visitation rights
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28 January 2012 @ 09:49
Do I have any rights to see my half sister who is 10. My dad married her, then she left him for someone else, she never did like us.
Last time I saw my half sister was when she was 1. I'm am 28, with one child, I want my daughter to meet her auntie. Do I have any rights at all.
I don't think she no's about us.
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Comments
It's interesting how having your own children makes you think differently about your family isn't it? You have a sister you don't know and it's natural for you to want your daughter to meet her. You probably want to make a connection as well.
I presume that she doesn't see your dad? Do you know if she knows who her father is? I'm sure your sister would be delighted to know about the family she didn't know she had but it could be a shock. I think you'd need the support of her mother if you were going to make contact because she'd be the one who would have to explain to your sister about her family history.
I'm not a lawyer so I can't say for sure if you have rights or not. Generally though the official thinking, especially for a 10 year old would be to ask if it would be in her best interests to meet you. Rather than approaching this from the point of view of 'your rights' you might do better by taking a softer approach. Have you thought about writing a letter to her mother? Try to imagine what her worries might be about you meeting them and see if you can reassure her.
I don't know if you think this would work - have you got any other ideas?
I can understand you wanting your daughter to know about where she comes from. It's also a good idea to try and get through barriers in a careful, sensitive way, to avoid something more upsetting happening in the future.
If you know where this person lives, is there anyone who could make an approach to her on your behalf, preferrably someone that is known to her as well?
If you don't have an address, you could perhaps ask for help from the Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service. They can be contacted via the internet.
I hope this is helpful. Good luck.