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What does £50 fixed fee include?

Hello
My Grandson and his partner have split up and they have a 2yr old little boy (my Great Grandson).
At first she was letting my Grandson and us see his little boy from 1 - 7 on a Wed and 1 - 7.30 on a Sat but in saying that she never had him ready which gave us less time to see him but had to have him back on the dot (or else).
She has turned very awkward with us all and is refusing for any of us to see him at all now and we are all very upset about it which is the reason why I am asking for some advice regarding this.
We have been told that there is no Legal Aid now for people like my Grandson or us Grandparents and we don't know where to turn now as Solicitors cost big money these days.
My daughter in law has gone to a Family Law Solicitors and was told a fixed fee of £50 would give some advice but when she asked what it covered they wouldn't say unless she paid the £50.
The other Solicitors told her she could have a free 20 minutes but if a letter was required to be written the cost was nearly £200 and anything else of course would cost more which of course we cannot afford.
Surely there must be some organisation out there for people like my Grandson who is 20 and sadly out of work who cannot have access to his son.
We are told he has rights to see his son as his name is on his birth certificate and practically brought him up when he was born but now can't see him at all.
We also have been told that Grandparents have rights too but it's true what they say 'Money Talks'.
Any advice please to what the £50 fixed fee covers?
Thank you
Very upset Granny

Comments

  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Tell your grandson to go and see a solicitor. Solicitors give half an hour free session, take it from there.

    I feel your pain as a grandmother/ great grandmother, all you can do is stay back, least said soonest mended. Wait and see what happens.
    Exactly the same thing happened to me and my oh. It was tantamount to a bereavement when my ex daughter in law left my son with our two grandsons aged 3 and 1 and moved 300 miles away.
    20 years later, she is the one who is suffering, her sons don't want anything to do with her, they turn to Dad and me and my OH for there emotional needs, patience is all you can practice, hard as it is.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 3 August 2013 at 11:31PM
    Your grandson is an adult, shouldn't he be the one meeting with solicitors rather than letting his gran and mum take over?

    Grandparents don't have rights unless they are their grandchild's guardian/primary carer I'm afraid.
  • seems strange that they won't tell you what it covers unless you pay it but I'm guessing that it cover a fixed timed appointment say 30 mins and they would give you a brief outline of what action could be taken, chances of success and total cost involved.
    2014 Target;
    To overpay CC by £1,000.
    Overpayment to date : £310

    2nd Purse Challenge:
    £15.88 saved to date
  • Person_one wrote: »
    Your grandson is an adult, shouldn't he be the one meeting with solicitors rather than letting his gran and mum take over?

    Grandparents don't have rights unless they are their grandchild's guardian/primary carer I'm afraid.

    Yes he is an adult but that doesn't stop us all from trying to help !!
  • Person_one
    Person_one Posts: 28,884 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Mabinogion wrote: »
    Yes he is an adult but that doesn't stop us all from trying to help !!

    Of course you'll want to offer support, but it should be him, as the child's father who presumably has parental responsibility, meeting with solicitors, not his mum!
  • Dunroamin
    Dunroamin Posts: 16,908 Forumite
    As there seems to be quite a lot of adults involved in this, couldn't you all split any costs?
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