I have had a request from my ex to do a hair strand test to prove my alcohol consumption is not excessive. But what is deemed as excessive In family court? I started drinking again at Xmas after 6 Months off after we broke up. I have probably drunk on average 8 Pints once a week since then, never before or in the care of my son. There has been an occasion with my family where I drunk 3 times about 8pints a day in a row. I am worried it will show in a hair strand test I have drunk to excess and my son will be refused contact with me.
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Hair strand test
- Thread starter algregor
- Start date
How long ago was it when you had the 8 pints 3 days in a row? How much do you drink in a week when your not going out etc?
How long until you have to submit the hair stand test? Are you not drinking at all now?
The thing is what they are looking for is prolonged chronic alcohol abuse. If you rarely drink but had a weekend session with family and a day out at Christmas your barrister will say this in court. You are not doing anything illegal by having a weekend away with the lads/family and having a decent session nor is it illegal to have a good drink at Christmas with family.
They are not looking for individual drinking sessions they are looking for prolonged chronic drinking to show your child is at risk of safeguarding. Having a couple of blow outs will not show this. Again, you barrister will explain you had a weekend away etc.
What you could do as well is have a Peth test to show the month of intake to highlight even more so that the sessions you had was a was one celebratory weekend. Doing a Peth test can help create the narrative. How can an alcoholic abstain for a month or have results that show no decisive drinking. This will back up your claim and give your barrister proof of your statement. That’s even if the hair stand test pulls up any questions. It means you have bases covered.
Also, if your ex still insists on another test blah blah blah as my ex did even though I passed everything then ask for it to be reciprocated! When I did this my ex soon backed down and accepted no more testing for me needed to be done. Especially if she likes a drink herself. She will shit herself!
Is your ex still requests then also ask for her to cover costings if the judge agrees with her for you to take a retest, just in case any doubt etc. like I say though you having a weekend session and then a session at crimbo won’t matter at all, if you don’t drink or rarely drink the rest of the time.
Hope this helps
How long until you have to submit the hair stand test? Are you not drinking at all now?
The thing is what they are looking for is prolonged chronic alcohol abuse. If you rarely drink but had a weekend session with family and a day out at Christmas your barrister will say this in court. You are not doing anything illegal by having a weekend away with the lads/family and having a decent session nor is it illegal to have a good drink at Christmas with family.
They are not looking for individual drinking sessions they are looking for prolonged chronic drinking to show your child is at risk of safeguarding. Having a couple of blow outs will not show this. Again, you barrister will explain you had a weekend away etc.
What you could do as well is have a Peth test to show the month of intake to highlight even more so that the sessions you had was a was one celebratory weekend. Doing a Peth test can help create the narrative. How can an alcoholic abstain for a month or have results that show no decisive drinking. This will back up your claim and give your barrister proof of your statement. That’s even if the hair stand test pulls up any questions. It means you have bases covered.
Also, if your ex still insists on another test blah blah blah as my ex did even though I passed everything then ask for it to be reciprocated! When I did this my ex soon backed down and accepted no more testing for me needed to be done. Especially if she likes a drink herself. She will shit herself!
Is your ex still requests then also ask for her to cover costings if the judge agrees with her for you to take a retest, just in case any doubt etc. like I say though you having a weekend session and then a session at crimbo won’t matter at all, if you don’t drink or rarely drink the rest of the time.
Hope this helps
Hi Richie,
Thanks for getting back to me on this.
End of February was when I probably did 3/4 days in a row. But since then there's been a couple of 2 days drinking 8 pints, but mostly once a week. I'm worried that this will push me over the threshold of chronic alcohol consumer via hair strand test. I'm definitely stopping drinking now as it's just not worth it anymore. Do you think it will show as a positive result?
Thanks
Thanks for getting back to me on this.
End of February was when I probably did 3/4 days in a row. But since then there's been a couple of 2 days drinking 8 pints, but mostly once a week. I'm worried that this will push me over the threshold of chronic alcohol consumer via hair strand test. I'm definitely stopping drinking now as it's just not worth it anymore. Do you think it will show as a positive result?
Thanks
I have pushed that I can do breathyliser tests night prior, on the morning and evening, even every hour my son is in my care. But she is refusing this. I think that should be sufficient to prove I'm not under the influence in the care of my son. (Which I have and not ever will be). Do the courts still accept this as an alternative to hair strand testing?
When I was having to take Peth tests chronic was suggested to be 3-4 sessions a week of 4 or more drinks. So that works out at 12-16 pints a week. I worked my half life to be approx 3 days. If you can stop drinking now and have a voluntary Peth test to back up that you had a weekend away, family occasion. A wedding maybe then this will be noted. Again an alcoholic wouldn’t pass a Peth test! Pass that which shows your commitment and then if the hair test comes back a bit precarious then get your barrister to push the Peth results. End of the day even of you score not great on your hair test they won’t just take your child away! They may demand another test, they may request an undertaking etc. drinking alcohol is not illegal and if there is a few drinking sessions that you admit to backed up with a really good Peth test that will really help. Remember judges don’t want to stop dads from seeing kids they want to just make sure their is no safeguarding concerns. Your right to stop drinking though! I did that immediately. I would advise a Peth test for sure though to back up your confession of a few sessions of it comes back that way.
Just an heads up about breathalysers! I was doing them from March 23 - June 23 to show I was drinking before or after being with my daughter. I also filmed every single one as well so it was clear. My ex claimed they wasn’t monitored/policed so they won’t accept it. The judge still ordered Peth tests
Just an heads up about breathalysers! I was doing them from March 23 - June 23 to show I was drinking before or after being with my daughter. I also filmed every single one as well so it was clear. My ex claimed they wasn’t monitored/policed so they won’t accept it. The judge still ordered Peth tests
OK great thanks. The peth tests work on a month's drinking right? So I should wait until I've clearly not been drinking a month? What about liver function blood tests? I heard these can be admissible? If they show obviously there's no damage? How much are the peth tests?
Yes I stopped drinking for 3 months without a single drop just to prove I wasn’t alcoholic. Passing both with a score of 32 and then 19. The 32 was my first one so there were still some in as I only went 21 days as it was court ordered but obviously still really low. The second one I scored 19 and that was without a drop. So aftershave and anything with alcohol in does show up. I was drinking 0.05 alcohol free beer. Which obviously showed so they are extremely sensitive. Anything under 20 is abstainance anything over 210 is classed as excessive. I was also ordered to have a CDT test which is liver function but after 9 attempts at taking blood they could only take enough for Peth. Obviously my ex tried to use this against me!! Saying I was trying to cheat the tests!! Bloody nonsense!! How can you cheat it!! Judge took no notice at all only to the Peth test. My Peth tests along with my ex taking my daughter out of the country wothout my consent meant I had a urgent order accepted. So getting a Peth test done is absolutely good when passed. I would recommend to anybody to do them asap even if not ordered by judge as it shows your not an alcoholic and this seems to be a very very common accusation to prevent any contact. This along with mentally ill. So 2 years mental health history and a bad about either to keep in the locker and produce if needed. The Peth test is around £300 each time and the doctors letter regarding mental health is £160.
Try and keep one step ahead with all the possible accusations. Doing them before the judge orders them can surely only be a good thing. Knowing what I know now I would have gone t total, not bothered with breath tests and built up a bank of Peth tests for each month along with the mental health report. I can just imagine the shock on some of these horrendous peoples faces when they relate their shit won’t stick! It might just speed up the process and get you a final hearing and reunited with your kids sooner than you thought
Try and keep one step ahead with all the possible accusations. Doing them before the judge orders them can surely only be a good thing. Knowing what I know now I would have gone t total, not bothered with breath tests and built up a bank of Peth tests for each month along with the mental health report. I can just imagine the shock on some of these horrendous peoples faces when they relate their shit won’t stick! It might just speed up the process and get you a final hearing and reunited with your kids sooner than you thought
Yeah but I'm worried if I take a peth test now it will show up as a positive result. We haven't even started any court proceedings yet, I have asked for her to come to mediation again with me (we had one session last September) which in her words "didn't go her way". So she is unwilling to go to another one. She made up lies that I had pushed her once. I've never laid a finger on her! Couldn't believe it, I think the mediator realised at the time she was obviously lying. So she is hell bent on the hair strand test which is just worrying me. If I push for court proceedings via me attending a mediation session solo, how long do you think it will take before I actually go through the proceedings and the court requests a hair strand test? Because if it's 3 months from now, I can obviously just stop drinking altogether and pass. With a peth test topper too!
In my understanding:
Chronice excessive = 60 grams per day
1ml of alcohol = 0.8g
10ml of alcohol = 1 unit
60 grams of alcohol = 7.5 units
That is:
187.5ml of spirits at 40% (7.5 standard pub measures)
1500ml of beer at 5% (2.5 pints and a good gulp)
577ml of wine at 13% (2 large glasses and a good gulp)
To find out where the 16 pints takes you. You need the beer's abv.
16*568=9088ml
Abv=units per litre. 5% beer is 5 units per litre.
So take the abv of your tipple and multiply by 9.088. You need a result below 52.5.
I am not claiming authority, please check my working.
Chronice excessive = 60 grams per day
1ml of alcohol = 0.8g
10ml of alcohol = 1 unit
60 grams of alcohol = 7.5 units
That is:
187.5ml of spirits at 40% (7.5 standard pub measures)
1500ml of beer at 5% (2.5 pints and a good gulp)
577ml of wine at 13% (2 large glasses and a good gulp)
To find out where the 16 pints takes you. You need the beer's abv.
16*568=9088ml
Abv=units per litre. 5% beer is 5 units per litre.
So take the abv of your tipple and multiply by 9.088. You need a result below 52.5.
I am not claiming authority, please check my working.
The test shows tier and level within tier. There is no basis upon which to link level within tier to a particular level of consumption. Barristers, judges, solicitors I've experienced are either dumb or good at playing dumb on this stuff.
The only way of finding out what the test result will be is to do the test. These tests are not infallible.
The only way of finding out what the test result will be is to do the test. These tests are not infallible.
So effectively it will just show I am at the high end of being a responsible drinker? Do you think I'm in a good position to just agree to the hair strand test based on this? Will a judge/barrister or solicitor draw negative conclusions from it being at the high end of responsible drinker? Also the calculations you made are based on a week's consumption right?
Your ex can't order a hair strand test, that would be for the court decide, should they wish to. In the meantime, stop drinking altogether. At that point it becomes simple maths, the longer you abstain before the test, the better the result.I have had a request from my ex to do a hair strand test to prove my alcohol consumption is not excessive. But what is deemed as excessive In family court? I started drinking again at Xmas after 6 Months off after we broke up. I have probably drunk on average 8 Pints once a week since then, never before or in the care of my son. There has been an occasion with my family where I drunk 3 times about 8pints a day in a row. I am worried it will show in a hair strand test I have drunk to excess and my son will be refused contact with me.
No she can’t she can only request it which in my situation the judge granted it. The judge granted everything she requested. Only once I had passed the the judge then stopped listening to her other requests. At first hearing the judge will be inclined very much so to eliminate the accusations and get evidential proof that what she is saying isn’t true. Absolutely stop drinking fullstop! That was the game changer for me! Great results and good mental health report. Got me to the final hearingYour ex can't order a hair strand test, that would be for the court decide, should they wish to. In the meantime, stop drinking altogether. At that point it becomes simple maths, the longer you abstain before the test, the better the result.
She's withholding contact until I take a hair strand test. What are my rights there? She (or I) have to apply to court and until that process is gone through, and they then request a hair strand test, she will refuse me contact with my son. I don't know how long that process will be?
Just to be clear.
Your ex is asking you to do all of these tests?
What's the jeapordy for a failed test and the benefit of a passed test or is she just making you spend money and jumpy through hoops.
My ex went down this route and I abstained for a couple of months before the test and had an abstinence reading.
If what you are saying is accurate and you don't drink before it during the time with your child you have nothing to worry about. Other than the cost.
I took the initiative on mine and paid for it and passed it to shoot down the inevitable bullet.
If she is asking for it then she should be paying for it
Your ex is asking you to do all of these tests?
What's the jeapordy for a failed test and the benefit of a passed test or is she just making you spend money and jumpy through hoops.
My ex went down this route and I abstained for a couple of months before the test and had an abstinence reading.
If what you are saying is accurate and you don't drink before it during the time with your child you have nothing to worry about. Other than the cost.
I took the initiative on mine and paid for it and passed it to shoot down the inevitable bullet.
If she is asking for it then she should be paying for it
Sounds like , even if you pass it, she will just find some other excuse to with hold contact. My advice - file for mediation then a C100 and Start proceeding ASAP, but most importantly, DONT TELL YOUR EX !! Otherwise , batten down the hatches for incoming false allegations, especially for domestic violence, so as to qualify for legal aid.She's withholding contact until I take a hair strand test. What are my rights there? She (or I) have to apply to court and until that process is gone through, and they then request a hair strand test, she will refuse me contact with my son. I don't know how long that process will be?
She is asking me to do a hair strand test now and every 3 months until whenever she decides is ok for me to stop.
Only issue is again, I am unsure whether I may fail the test as I have been drinking about 8pints (sometimes X2) per week within the previous 3 months period. I think it may be deemed excessive. So I don't want to risk and fail. I am thinking of opening mediation proceedings again, but might be worth putting this off for a period until I can prove abstinence? But then it means longer without my son.
Only issue is again, I am unsure whether I may fail the test as I have been drinking about 8pints (sometimes X2) per week within the previous 3 months period. I think it may be deemed excessive. So I don't want to risk and fail. I am thinking of opening mediation proceedings again, but might be worth putting this off for a period until I can prove abstinence? But then it means longer without my son.
if you go the court route, it will take several months anyway. My advice - stop drinking now, open mediation, then court proceedings. Do not tell your ex of any of this (other than you don't drink) otherwise you are giving her time to prepare.She is asking me to do a hair strand test now and every 3 months until whenever she decides is ok for me to stop.
Only issue is again, I am unsure whether I may fail the test as I have been drinking about 8pints (sometimes X2) per week within the previous 3 months period. I think it may be deemed excessive. So I don't want to risk and fail. I am thinking of opening mediation proceedings again, but might be worth putting this off for a period until I can prove abstinence? But then it means longer without my son.