Case Summaries

This judgment concerns applications for costs and wasted costs following the conclusion of private law children proceedings. 

HHJ Patel deemed that there were exceptional reasons justifying a care order at home. Risks related to the parent’s mental health and the father’s neurodivergence continued to be high and had to be monitored and supported before the local authority stepped away.

Application by father for return of children to Zimbabwe under the Child Abduction and Custody Act 1985 (incorporating the 1980 Hague Convention).

Whether there had been a ‘significant change of circumstances’ to warrant the discharge of an undertaking and/or to vary an income based PP order.

‘Compliance with court orders is expected by any court and is expected by this court.’  The seriousness of a breach or breaches will warrant a custodial sentence with a discretion to suspend based on conditions.

Case concerning the terms of Transparency Order in ongoing care proceedings involving a young child alleged to have been subjected to fabricated or induced illness (FII).

Husband’s financial remedies application, the primary issue being the wife’s conduct, including fraud and dishonesty, coercive and controlling behaviour, and physical, emotional, verbal, and financial abuse.

This case concerns a mother’s application for permission to appeal (out of time) on both procedural and substantive grounds the decision by District Judge Rollason to make care and placement orders (with plans for adoption) on submissions only without hearing evidence from the mother or experts in the case. The appeal was heard by His Honour Judge Willans.

Care proceedings, issued following death of child’s sibling. Real possibility found that M or F caused fatal injuries to sibling. Child to remain with foster carers, under SGO

The Applicant was a journalist, who has written on the concept of ‘parental alienation’ and how it is applied by experts in the Family Court. She requested access to certain documents from four private child arrangements disputes, particularly the expert reports of consultant clinical psychologist Dr Maria Downs.

Mother’s application for the child S to relocate and reside with her in France.  Application granted primarily on the basis that she is better placed to meet the emotional needs of S.

Application for return order made by the father for the child to be summarily returned to Albania. 

This is an application for an adoption order concerns S. S was born in September 2023 and relinquished at birth by her natural mother, an Indian national.

The High Court makes creative use of Wardship in International Child Protection

This case concerns an urgent application by a child, “LM”, aged 15 and 7 months, to live with his mother.

This was a judgment of HHJ Redmond regarding Wolverhampton City Council’s application for permission to withdraw care proceedings.