Child supervisor contact agreement - translation help needed

[dusty42]

Hi,

I have a son in finland. His mother and I broke up not long after he was born. At the time we both lived in the UK, but after we broke up she took him to finland and was resistant to my seeing him. Eventually I persuaded her to attent mediation in finland with a child supervisor(August 2012). We made an agreement that I should be able to see our son for a weekend each month. As time has passed she has restricted the time I can spend with our son more and more. He is now about 18 months old. The last time I visited she only allowed me 3hrs contact, the time before,- 6hrs. She is generally difficult, hostile(in front of our son), often ignores my questions and for about 6 months has refused to tell me anything about our little boy. I feel very isolated from him.

We spent more than an hour at the mediation, but the resultant agreement does not have much to it. It was only sent to me in finnish, so I can't actually read it, I've tried various online translation tools but I am worried I am missing the subtleties of the text.

If someone who speaks Suomi and English fluently could provide me with an accurate translation I would really appreciate it.

Lapsi tapaa isäänsä kerran kuukaudessa viikonloppuna suomessa.
Vanhemmat sopivat luonapidon ajankohdan keskenään. Isä pyrkii ilmoittamaan tapaamisen ajankohdan vähintään kuukausi ennen tapaamista.
Tapaamiset aloitetaan äidin luona. Vanhemmat voivat myöhemmin sopia, että lapsi tapaa isäänsä myös muualla kuin äidin luona.

Isällä on oikeus saada tietoja lapsesta sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon viranomaisilta, päivähoidosta, koulusta ja poliisista.

This agreement is supposed to be legally binding, but from what I understand of the text, it all seems fairly vague for a legal document. I fear my ex is gradually trying to cut me off from our son and wonder if the agreement offers any hope of my being able to fight back. The trips to finland cost a lot, generally around £500/£600 per visit, if she only allows me 3hrs with our son, it is very frustrating. I also pay £300 child support per month.

[Oye]

Lapsi tapaa isäänsä kerran kuukaudessa viikonloppuna suomessa.
Vanhemmat sopivat luonapidon ajankohdan keskenään. Isä pyrkii ilmoittamaan tapaamisen ajankohdan vähintään kuukausi ennen tapaamista.
Tapaamiset aloitetaan äidin luona. Vanhemmat voivat myöhemmin sopia, että lapsi tapaa isäänsä myös muualla kuin äidin luona.

Isällä on oikeus saada tietoja lapsesta sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon viranomaisilta, päivähoidosta, koulusta ja poliisis

I am no layer or official in these situations, so have no such advice to offer, nor am I a professional translator. But I know Finnish, and it actually does not say that you will see the child for the duration of a weekend but that "the child meets his father once a month on a weekend. The parents agree between themselves when the child is with his father. The father tries to announce the time at least a month before the meeting. They start to see each other at the mothers place. Later the parents can agree, that the child will meet the father elsewhere too.

The father has the right to get information of the child from the social- and health authorities, from the daycare, school and the police"

The last bit actually does not oblige the mother to tell you about the child but that you can be yourself in contact with these authorities and get information. However, as far as I am aware, in Finland it should always be what is in the best interest for the child that rules how everything is handled. Usually it is seen to be in the child's best interest to have contact with both parents, unless, of course, there is a reason for this not to be the case. So if you don't think the mother is honouring this, maybe try to be in contact with the mediators again. And this time, demand for your right to either have an interpreter with you or to at least get the documents in English! ( I actually don't know the legal rights regarding this and somebody from UK but try!)

[ajdias]

Is this a court document? If not, it's not really binding.
I suggest you get in touch with a lawyer and find out about your options to have a clear agreement drawn and accepted by the court. Yes, it will be expensive.

[Upphew]

Is this a court document? If not, it's not really binding.
I suggest you get in touch with a lawyer and find out about your options to have a clear agreement drawn and accepted by the court. Yes, it will be expensive.

You get court document if you can't make the agreement without court. If you can, it may be done with child supervisor and is as binding as any contract.
http://www.hel.fi/hki/sosv/fi/Perheiden ... sopimukset

[ajdias]

Thanks for the correction.

[dusty42]

Thanks for the replies. I was told before the meeting that the mediator would be fluent in english, but she wasn't. My ex also wanted someone who could talk swedish as this is her first language.

The mediator said this was a legal contract. But it does all seem quite vague, my ex could be compliant by allowing me to see my son for 10 minutes once a month by the sound of things. I don't expect to be able to see my son for a whole weekend at the moment,- he is too young. But it would seem reasonable for my ex to allow me fairly full days with him as I only get to see him once a month at the most. Certainly 12hrs over a weekend does not seem unreasonable.

the child meets his father once a month on a weekend

Google translate says:

the child meets his father once a month for a weekend

A massive difference. But I trust your translation far more. I am beginning to think I should not have signed this document. It is different to what was actually said at the meeting. It is so vague as to be almost worthless.

For the record there is no reason for me not to see our son. My ex just 'changed her mind' after his birth. She suffered depression during the pregnancy and had a difficult birth, despite my best efforts I believe she felt very isolated, being away from her family. If you asked her, I don't think she could give a good reason why I shouldn't be able to see our son, it just doesn't 'fit' with what she wants now.

I will contact the mediators again. And, as you say I will not sign anything not in a language I understand. I wonder if I can ask for this contract to be renegotiated based on the fact I was asked to sign something I couldn't understand? At the time I just wanted to be able to see my son, by this stage my ex had already stopped me from seeing him for three months through the summer, so I was quite desperate to get something agreed.

Thanks again, I really appreciate you all taking the time to reply.

[dusty42]

This is what google translate gave me:

the child to the father once a month for a weekend in Finland
parents agreed to hold at the time of each other. the father shall endeavor to inform the date of the meeting at least one month before the meeting.
Meetings begin with their mother. parents may subsequently agree that the child to the father not only in the mother's house.

The father has the right to be informed child health and social care authorities, day care, school, and police officers.

Fairly close, but at the same time completely different.

[Oye]

I would at least try to get that agreement cancelled or details added on the base that you both "read it differently"!

Btw, in my experience google translator often makes small but HUGE mistakes with Finnish being the other language. My It seems to work better with Swedish (but obviously not without mistakes).

However, if the mediator was Swedish speaking, she/he may also have a poor Finnish and has thought that the first line means "for the weekend" instead of "on the weekend". That kind of a mistake could be easy to do for a Swedish speaker using Finnish (I grew up speaking them both). Anyway, just a thought, as maybe claiming that could be a cause to have the agreement drawn up again?