After hours, days, weeks, months (and in some cases, even years) of attempting to reason with the Evil Queen to allow you contact with your own children - children who you helped to bring into the world and raise - you realise that your only option is to fight your cause in the Family Courts. But it's not even that simple. The Family Court will only consider your application immediately if there has been domestic violence (which of course the Evil Queen has claimed there has been, although there is no evidence to support this), there is a risk to your life or safety (The fact that you feel almost suicidal at this point does not actually count!), or you and the Evil Queen are in agreement as to what should happen (Erm...let's remember why you are actually making the application to the Court!). So, the first hoop you have to jump through is attending a Mediation Information & Assessment Meeting (otherwise known as a MIAM). You meet with a mediator to discuss yo

While women traditionally get a rough ride in fairy tales - you are either the beautiful, vulnerable heroine or the wicked stepmother or a witch - men become the archetypal hero. Prince Charming rescues Cinderella from her life of drudgery, The Huntsman kills the Granny-devouring wolf and saves Little Red Riding Hood, and the Seven Dwarves allow Snow White to live in their care and protection (albeit in returning for doing all the domestic work in the house...which she can't really complain about as most of it seems to be done by the various woodland creatures who visit! However, in my house that would result in a telephone call to Pest Control...but I digress!). Even Aladdin (a thief and a vagabond) turns out to be an all-round good guy, whilst it turns out that the Beast was just simply misunderstood. So why do separated fathers suddenly become the devil in disguise?! These are the same men that the Evil Queens fell in love with - the men who they married, had children

      Put your hands up all those people who used to laugh at their mother's stash of carrier bags (which were usually kept under the kitchen sink!)! Well, the last laugh is on them...put your hands up if you now have your own stash!   Since the implementation of the Government's bag charge, I now probably have more money invested in my kitchen cupboard than I have in my own bank account! Carrier bags of all different shapes, sizes, thicknesses and brands mount a deadly attack every time I open the cupboard door...but this is not the only reason why I hate and detest those dastardly carrier bags!   Firstly, I dread 1.00pm on Saturdays when my darling daughters are dropped off by their father. Why? Because it is the same routine every weekend. He arrives and the girls jump happily out of the car and disappear into the house in search of their tablets in order to film their latest Musical.ly...leaving me to retrieve their belongings from the boot of his Mazda (wi

Whilst there are numerous posts all over the internet about "deadbeat dads" who don't pay a penny towards the upbringing of their children, just who is championing the cause for those fathers who are being bled dry by their ex-wives who are demanding spousal maintenance on top of their child maintenance payments?! The answer is simple - No-one! The Family Courts receives application upon application from scorned ex-wives who feel that that have a right to be paid compensation for the injustice caused to them by the fact that their husband has chosen to leave them for whatever reason.  And the result? Fathers being forced to pay excessive amounts of cash in order for their ex-wives to live the life of Riley whilst they themselves struggle to maintain any sort of reasonable lifestyle. You may be asking "What exactly is this "spousal maintenance"?" Well, it is generally defined as maintenance that is paid by a husband or a wife to their former sp

So, I need to take the opportunity to introduce myself...I am The Wicked Stepmother! Actually, I'm not that wicked...nor am I officially the stepmother yet....but I wanted to have the opportunity to share my experiences as a stepmother with you all. Life is not a fairy tale, although it does have its moments. I am a mum of four, mum to two step-munchkins, and a full-time teacher, currently living with my partner of three years, and, although ours is a bit of a fairy tale romance, our journey together over the last three years has been more of a horror story! Where did it all start?! Well, I met my current partner when I was 17 years old and he was my first and only true love (Please feel free to vomit at this point!). There was twelve months of pure, unadulterated teenage love...then he dumped me! Cue hours of teenage despair and wallowing! Despite this, he remained the love of my life, and I always maintained that I wouldn't know what I would ever do if I met him again..