Agony of being a 50/50 mum: Women once held the upper hand in custody battles. Now fathers are winning EQUAL access... and mothers are struggling to cope

Nicola Hewitt, centre on the left, 42, an office manager from Kenley, Surrey, faces the trauma of being without her children Devon, 10, pictured on the right of the left photo, and Sonny, eight, pictured far left, every weekend. 




Veronica Sweeney-Bird, pictured centre, a 33-year-old bar worker from Tunbridge Wells, a week-on, week-off shared care arrangement for her two daughters Ziva, five, pictured at the top of the inset photo, and Tali, three, pictured at the bottom of the inset photo. Charlotte Dickinson, pictured right, a 38-year-old teaching assistant from Cardiff, splits care of their five-year-old daughter Jessica with her ex-partner -he has her three nights of the week and Charlotte the remainder. More and more mothers are having to divide time with the children equally with their exes, meaning Britain has a growing legion of 50/50 mothers.