Enoch Anekwe

Hi Enoch, I am sorry to bother you, but I find myself in need of your expertise and guidance. We had spoke a couple weeks ago and you informed me you were at capacity for clients and unable to do anything urgent. Due to the time restriction with my legal aid certificate, I was forced the matter over to someone else to prevent my certificate from cancelling. Now, I find myself in a difficult and confusing position, and I’m feeling quite uncertain about how to move forward. If you could spare just five minutes to review my situation and offer advice on what steps you would take if you were my lawyer, it would be incredibly helpful as I navigate this. Here’s the situation: I’ve received a letter from CAS stating “The Society was unable to make a decision on the safety of the child while being cared for by her mother. If the mother wishes to have access with her child, the Society would intervene on the physical punishment described by the child”. My current lawyer is insisting that we do not move forward with any family law actions until I meet with CAS to understand their position. However, my child protection lawyer has warned that if I engage with CAS, it could lead to restrictions on my parenting rights and potentially a protection order. I’m unsure of how to proceed. I don’t want to risk jeopardizing my standing in family court, especially considering the time I’ve already spent without seeing my child, and the potential impact of complying with CAS in the interim. My primary concern is how this could affect my case and what steps I should take to avoid any missteps. Dad is of the position he has full custody and does not want me having unsupervised access with Anaya and “I must have intervention before access can safely resume and However, the fourth item—establishing temporary parenting arrangements—requires thorough consideration of Anaya’s best interests. I reiterate my request that CAS involvement be sought before parenting time is resumed”. Given this situation, I would greatly appreciate your guidance on whether I should meet with CAS or proceed directly with family court. If I do meet with CAS, what should I say? What should I ask? And do I need to comply with their examination or any agreements they may propose? I truly value your advice, and your input at this critical time would mean a lot to me. Looking forward to hearing from you.