Children/Parenting Issues

A briefing paper has been published by the House of Commons Library considering the help that can be offered to grandparents, family and friend carers (otherwise known as kinship carers), who look after children where their parents are unable to do so. ...

Court of Appeal's decision Offers Guidance on the approach to Domestic Abuse in child contact cases   The Court of Appeal issued a judgment last month after hearing four linked appeals involving child contact and allegations of domestic...

In an unusual approach, a mother contesting a local authority care order was permitted to type her answers to written questions in ‘real time’ from the witness box which were read out loud to the Court.   Furthermore, the mother was...

Whilst Boris Johnson has announced a 3-week lockdown in the UK, there is uncertainty surrounding how long this quarantine period will actually last given that confirmed cases of COVID 19 continue to rise. As of Sunday 29 th March 2020, the Prime Minister,...

Reforms in assessments undertaken by CAFCASS during Children Act Proceedings If you are a party to Children proceedings, you will be familiar with CAFCASS and the work they undertake within the course of the proceedings. CAFCASS are Court appointed...

By Karen Chapman, Peter Vassila and Rene Panayiotou We are repeatedly told by the family court that child maintenance and child contact are two separate issues but for many parents the two issues are not so easy to separate.  In practice we see...

The finale of Doctor Foster is almost upon us and after four weeks of plot twists and bombshells series 2 is about to reach its climatic end……….. Did Gemma kill Simon? What did Simon tell Tom about his mum? Why did Gemma dissolve her...

It is reported that during the last decade or so, more women than ever have been focussing on their careers and have been leaving trying for their first baby until their 40s. Nowadays, it is not always possible for couples to start a family as early as they...

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who announced yesterday that they are expecting their third child – a brother or sister to Prince George 4 and Princess Charlotte 2. When my husband and I decided to start a family, it was by far...

A High Court Judge has called for a change in the law that currently allows alleged domestic abusers to cross-examine their victims during civil proceedings.  Justice Hayden said that he would refuse to hear any future cases where this is allowed to...

Divorce can be an acrimonious and destabilising time for spouses and is often cited as one of the most stressful experiences a person may go through during their lifetime.  Whilst those who have been through a difficult divorce will attest to this,...

Fathers who involve themselves in their young children’s lives are much more likely to keep in regular contact with their children in the event of a split from their partner than those who do not, so researchers from the Nuffield Foundation have found....

According to the National Association for Child Contact Centres (“NACC”), over 40 child contact centres in England and Wales have shut down over the last year and a half and the charity believes that the legal aid cuts have had an indirect impact...

Under new regulations due to come into force in November 2014, the children, grandchildren and other prescribed relatives of adopted adults will have the right to apply for information about their family history. This will enable them to make contact with...

A baby girl born by a surrogate mother who has been diagnosed by Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy (a rare muscular condition) has been rejected by her intended parents. The surrogate mother gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy, after the implantation of...

Justice Minister Simon Hughes has announced that free DNA tests are being provided in family law cases where there are disputes over the paternity of a child. The Justice Minister has stated that funding DNA tests “will sort out the problem about who...

The Children and Families Act 2014 will come into force on the 22nd of April 2014 and will introduce a number of changes to private law children act proceedings as we know them. Some of the most important changes are set out below: 1) Mediation Information...

The law relating to surrogacy is very complicated and therefore it is essential that couples wishing to use a surrogate mother go to a licensed fertility clinic and obtain legal advice. The Daily Mail has published an article this week about a couple who...

Fathers’ Rights Groups have once again been a popular talking point in the family law world. Their campaigns, to say the very least, have been extremely controversial and have made headline news a number of times over the last few years and to date,...

Most applications for contact are made by non-resident parents who wish to have a continued relationship with their children and are unable to do so by agreement with the parent with care. A Contact Order is an Order requiring the person with whom the child...