My stepson is fighting for access and custody of his four your old daughter and our grand daughter through the courts. This has been going on for almost nine months now when his estranged partner took his daughter out of the country for a long period of time and denied him any form of access. I have been helping him fight this case and now it is going through the legal system so for obvious reasons I cannot use real photos or names at this moment in time.

I applied for legal aid through the system for him to obtain assistance but the government has made it almost impossible for you get this now unless there are evidenced acts of abuse which are supported by the police of the medical profession. As this didn't happen he is not entitled to any help for his legal costs so our family have clubbed together to help him. He injured his back at work at the end of last year and needed time off work and he is now desperately trying to find a job so he can support this himself without asking anyone for help.

He has little money left for food and his household bills and he is at times too proud to ask for help when he really needs it. He has lost over two stone in weight and just lives for the day he will have his daughter back in his life again, at the moment this is just though the contact center which on its own costs £35 a session each week plus his traveling costs as he does not drive.

His estranged wife is making things very difficult through the courts and the legal costs so far are close to £2'000 and there are at least two more court sessions to go at the very least without the costs of supervised access and helping him generally with food and household bills. we have found just over £1'000 so far to cover the initial court and supervised access but our own funds are running low.

I know he would be so very grateful for any help you might consider providing and so would our family, he has gone through a really tough time and desperately wants to be re-united with his daughter on a permanent basis so at least his future will be clear and happy again with his little girl back in his life.