News & Guides
Expert commentary, case analysis, and practical guides on divorce, children's arrangements, financial remedy, and more.
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawWhen informal applications to extend a child maintenance order are valid
The High Court confirmed the extension of payments beyond the child’s eighteenth birthday to cover the period of their tertiary education. Facts: This appeal concerns the extension of the duration
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Child ArrangementsFCDO advice is a guideline, not a legal mandate
The High Court discharged orders prohibiting the family from taking children abroad and concluded that “clear boundaries have been overstepped”. Facts: This judgement concerns a family
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawParental love, non-parentage, and the lives-with order
The High Court has delivered a pivotal judgement concerning the legal parentage and parental responsibility of a child conceived via international fertility treatment, underscoring the complexities
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawA baby’s birthplace is their habitual residence
The High Court dismissed a British mother’s application to have her child returned to her from Spanish care, ruling that it lacked jurisdiction while emphasising that the child’s habitual residence
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawBalancing sibling contact and placement in adoption decisions
The Court of Appeal (CoA) recently heard a case concerning a judge’s decision to make a placement for adoption order for a younger child, while declining to order direct sibling contact with his older
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Child ArrangementsBeyond parental consent – a teen’s right to choose their gender
The High Court heard an application by the parents for a declaration that their 17-year-old child lacked the capacity to consent to gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Background: B
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawIs adoption possible when the co-parents are separated?
This case reflects the judiciary’s willingness to interpret existing legislation sufficiently flexibly to align with the diverse realities of modern family life and, more crucially, prioritise the
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Child ArrangementsDepriving a child of liberty is a serious step and not a default position
The High Court has recently addressed the complex and sensitive issue of depriving children nearing adulthood of liberty while in Local Authority (LA) care. Background: LB, born in August 2009, is
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Child ArrangementsDoes age impact parental orders in international surrogacy cases?
The High Court delivered a judgement that underscores the paramount importance of lifelong welfare considerations in parental order applications, particularly in cases involving older intended
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Child ArrangementsThe limits of protection: Medical privacy vs parental rights to share their story
The Supreme Court addressed in two cases the incredibly sensitive intersection of parental rights and the right to privacy in cases concerning the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment for a
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Child ArrangementsFamily LawYou cannot involve other children in ongoing care proceedings
The Court of Appeal (CoA) heard a rare case relating to Section 37 of the Children Act 1989. Background: The case arose from care proceedings initiated by the local authority (LA) concerning a baby
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Child ArrangementsCan a person who holds parental consent give consent for placement that results in a deprivation of liberty?
The High Court heard a peculiar case in which four different persons, who had parental responsibility over a 15-year-old, had asked the Local Authority (LA) to accommodate and provide care for the
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