DS v AC [2023] EWFC 46 (29 March 2023):
Judgment concerning an application for a non-molestation order, published to set out the basic principles that apply to such applications and orders. Full report:
J (a Minor) [2023] EWFC 35 (01 March 2023):
Father's application for child arrangements order. Ordered that child should live with father, following finding that mother had alienated him from father. Full report:
Judge warns against "unnecessary litigation": "Do not bring your private law litigation to the Family court here unless it is genuinely necessary for you to do so." - Re B (A Child) (Unnecessary Private Law Applications)
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SP v DM [2023] EWHC 2089 (Fam) (17 August 2023)
Appeal by mother against child arrangements order, claiming procedural irregularities. Appeal dismissed. Full report: . See also costs judgment, here:
A v V [2022] EWHC 3501 (Fam) (08 July 2022):
Judgment in "relatively straightforward application pursuant to Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989", in which the parents incurred legal costs totalling £5,535,584. Full report:
Hannah Summers & Anor v Kristopher Paul Arthur White & Ors [2024] EWFC 182 (4 July 2024):
Applications to permit publication of name of father in children proceedings, following findings of serious abuse against him. Applications granted.
A and B (Child Arrangements: Parental Alienation) [2022] EWFC B11 (26 January 2022):
Child arrangements proceedings, in which it was found that the father had alienated the children from the mother. Ordered that children should live with mother. Report:
A,B and C (Fact Find: Allegations of Coercive and Controlling Behaviour) [2021] EWFC B103 (01 October 2021):
Judgment following fact-finding hearing in private law proceedings concerning three children. Full report:
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GB, Re (Parental Alienation: Factual Findings) [2024] EWFC 75 (B) (28 March 2024):
Fact-finding in private law proceedings, to consider allegations by F of parental alienation and by M of coercive controlling behaviour. M's allegations found to be true.
Children, Re (Private Law: Covert Recordings: Adjournment of Final Hearing) [2021] EWFC B82 (02 November 2021):
Application by M for permission to remove children from jurisdiction. Judgment re: disclosure of covert recordings of F made by W. Full report:
C, Re [2022] EWFC 138 (28 September 2022):
Fact-finding judgment in private law proceedings, concerning allegations that the father had sexually abused the child, including judicial criticism of the process and time taken to resolve. Full report:
W (A Child). Re [2021] EWHC 2844 (Fam) (25 October 2021):
Care proceedings concerning 12 year old child with serious disabilities, where his carers had encountered a resistance and what they perceived to be combative interference from the parents. Report:
B v E (Fact-finding) [2023] EWFC 303 (B) (11 October 2023):
Fact-finding in father's contact application, concerning mother's allegations of abuse by the father. No findings made against the father.
X and Y (private law - change of name - termination of parental responsibility) [2021] EWFC B24 (19 April 2021):
Applications by M to terminate F's PR and change children's surnames, after F convicted for attempted murder of mother. Full report:
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Re A and B (Children: ‘Parental Alienation’) (No. 5) [2023] EWHC 1864 (Fam) (27/7/2023):
Fact-finding in child arrangements proceedings concerning allegations by F against M, who had previously been found to have alienated the children against him. Report:
F v M [2021] EWFC B101 (24 June 2021):
Final hearing of child arrangements proceedings in which the mother was found to have alienated the children. Ordered that children live with father. Full report:
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GB (Part 25 Application: Parental Alienation) [2023] EWFC 150 (30 August 2023):
Appeal by mother in private law proceedings against direction permitting instruction of psychologist, following alienation assertions by father. Appeal allowed. Full report:
SR v RT [2024] EWFC 103 (B) (15 May 2024):
Cross-applications by parents for child arrangements orders for 3 children. Ordered that children move to live with M, following finding that F had perpetrated very serious domestic abuse against M.
B (a father) v M (a mother) [2023] EWFC 281 (01 August 2023):
Child arrangements proceedings, in which child was moved from M to F, after M made serious false allegations against the father, and indicated that she would not comply with any contact order.
Robin-Simmers and Adrien (Children : Care Order) [2020] EWFC B52 (12 November 2020)
Judgment in proceedings concerning 2 children aged 14 and 8, including letter from judge to children. Full report:
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A & B, Re (Parental Alienation by the Non-Resident Parent) [2022] EWFC B8 (14 January 2022):
Care proceedings issued due to concerns over children who had been drawn into dispute between parents, including findings of parental alienation against F. Report:
Re D (A Child) (Appeal Out of Time):
Appeal by father against finding, made in May 2018, that he had sexually abused his daughter. Appeal allowed despite delay, as finding so unsafe and consequences so serious that it could not be allowed to stand -
P v P (Treatment of costs in sharing cases) [2022] EWFC 158 (14 November 2022):
Judgment concerning issues of costs in a wholly sharing case, including costs owing to lawyers, costs already taken from marital assets, and costs orders. Full report:
Griffiths v Kniveton & Anor [2024] EWHC 199 (Fam) (02 February 2024):
F's application for direct contact, in case where he had been found to have raped M. No direct contact ordered and 3 year barring order made.
Re P (a child) (dismissal of application – abusive applicant) [2023] EWFC 86 (16 May 2023):
Judgment dismissing child arrangements application of father who had behaved abusively towards all involved in the case. Full report:
AA v ZZ [2024] EWHC 2008 (Fam) (31 July 2024):
Father's application for child arrangements order in relation to twins. Mother claimed children were never born. Strong evidence found that at least one child was born.
A Mother v A Father [2023] EWFC 105 (14 April 2023):
Combined judgment in private law proceedings concerning applications for costs following fact-finding hearing where F was found to have abused the child, and to remove parental responsibility. Report:
K v K & Ors [2023] EWFC 202 (31 October 2023):
Final hearing of child arrangements proceedings, in which the father had been found to be coercive and controlling. Indirect contact only ordered. Full report:
HD v WB [2023] EWFC 2 (13 January 2023):
Final hearing of financial remedies application involving assets exceeding £43m, in which a principal issue was the weight to be attached to a pre-nuptial agreement. Full report:
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AM v AF (private law final hearing) [2023] EWFC 153 (30 August 2023):
Final hearing of child arrangements proceedings, deciding issue of where the children should live, the parents living some way apart. Full report:
A & B, Re (Children: Expert's Reports) [2024] EWHC 948 (Fam) (24 March 2024):
Appeal by mother in private law proceedings against an order for the appointment of a psychologist to undertake a family assessment. Appeal allowed.
H-N (the rehearing) [2021] EWFC B98 (05 October 2021):
Rehearing of fact-finding in child arrangements proceedings, regarding allegations of domestic abuse against father. Full report:
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GB (Parental Alienation: Welfare), Re [2024] EWFC 168 (B) (24 May 2024):
DRA in children proceedings, where findings of coercive controlling behaviour had been made against F. Ordered that children live with M & have indirect contact only with F.
A, Re [2023] EWHC 3534 (Fam) (13 December 2023):
Application by mother to revoke father's parental responsibility, the father having abused the mother and shown no interest in the child. Parental responsibility revoked.
Court of Appeal rules on “hot potato” issue of decision between care order, supervision order or no order when child placed at home via @
@LocGovLawyer
A Mother v A Father & Anor [2023] EWFC 163 (03 May 2023):
Application by mother seeking to remove child from care of father. Change of residence ordered, following finding of alienating behaviours by father. Full report:
S (A Child : Costs), Re [2022] EWHC 2604 (Fam) (26 September 2022):
Application for costs by mother in children proceedings. Costs order made, in light of unreasonable litigation conduct by father. Full report:
Lee Hudson v Jayne Hathway [2022] EWCA Civ 1648 (14 December 2022):
Constructive trust: a party claiming an increase in their share as a result of a post-acquisition changed common intention must show detrimental reliance on that changed intention. Report:
K (inability to instruct guardian) [2022] EWFC B4 (25 January 2022):
Judgment relating to difficulty where court joined the children to the proceedings, and it was not possible to secure a report from a guardian. Full report:
M v F [2024] EWFC 82 (B) (21 March 2024):
Fact-finding in private law proceedings, concerning M's allegations that F had abused the child. Found that F had not abused the child, and that M had influenced the child to make untrue allegations against F.
C (Child: Ability to Instruct Solicitor) [2023] EWCA Civ 889 (26 July 2023):
Appeal by mother against order allowing 14-year-old boy to instruct his own solicitor in proceedings brought by the parents to discharge care orders. Appeal allowed. Full report:
A (A Child), Re (Contested Adoption and Local Authority Conduct) [2024] EWFC 192 (B) (11 July 2024):
Application for adoption by foster carers, opposed by LA and F. Adoption order made. Includes judicial criticism of local authority conduct of case.
The Mother v The Father [2023] EWHC 2078 (Fam) (14 August 2023):
Costs judgment following unsuccessful appeal by mother from refusal of permission to reopen findings of fact in private law proceedings. Full report:
Her Royal Highness Haya Bint Al Hussein v His Highness Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum [2021] EWFC 94 (19 November 2021):
Final hearing of applications by wife under Schedule 1 Children Act 1989 and Part III MFPA 1984. Full report:
#FamilyLaw
Z, Re (Prohibition On Cross-Examination: No QLR) [2024] EWFC 22 (09 February 2024):
Judgment considering the approach the court should adopt when it has directed that a QLR should be appointed for a party, but no QLR can be found.
The Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (Commencement) Regulations 2022:
These Regulations bring into force on the 6th April 2022 those provisions of the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020 (c. 11) which are not already into force.
C (Surrogacy: Consent) [2023] EWCA Civ 16 (16 January 2023):
Appeal by surrogate & biological mother against parental order, on the ground that she had not given free & unconditional consent. Appeal allowed & parental order application dismissed. Report:
H (A Child : Private law; adverse findings, restrictions on parental responsibility) [2021] EWFC B91 (15 December 2021):
Judgment in child arrangements proceedings concerning 7 year old child, in which adverse findings were made against mother. Report:
W v N-F [2023] EWFC 302 (B) (19 October 2023):
Father's child arrangements application, following mother's unilateral decision to move with the children from Surrey to Buckinghamshire. Shared lives with order made.
GA v EL [2023] EWFC 187 (31 October 2023):
Application by wife in financial remedy proceedings to instruct second expert regarding valuation of business, following valuation by single joint expert. Application dismissed. Full report:
MN v AN [2023] EWHC 613 (Fam) (10 March 2023):
Final hearing of wife's financial remedies application, in which the husband issued a Notice to Show Cause why the application for should not be dealt with in the terms of a Pre-Nuptial Agreement. Full report:
Re Z (A Child) (Order for no contact) [2023] EWFC 61 (20 April 2023):
Final hearing considering issue of father's contact with child, the father having been found to be a paedophile. Report:
See also fact-finding judgment, here:
E v G & Anor [2023] EWFC 72 (11 January 2023):
Long-running children dispute, in which F was not prepared to accept less than the child spending half her time with each parent. F's contact reduced to letterbox contact only. Full report:
Griffiths v Griffiths (Guidance on Contact Costs) [2022] EWHC 113 (Fam) (20 January 2022):
Appeal by mother from contact order, considering whether she, as a victim of abuse, should be required to contribute towards the cost of supervised contact. Report:
K v K [2022] EWCA Civ 468 (08 April 2022):
Appeal by father from fact-finding in child arrangements proceedings, including general guidance on the proper approach to fact-finding hearings in private family proceedings. Appeal allowed. Full report:
Q v R [2022] EWHC 2961 (Fam) (21 September 2022):
Application by M for return of child to Ukraine, the mother and child having come to this country following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Return ordered, despite F's Art 13(b) defence. Full report:
K v W (Fact-Finding Hearing: Permission to Appeal and Adducing New Evidence) [2023] EWFC 292 (B) (25 October 2023):
Application by mother for permission to appeal against findings of fact in child arrangements proceedings. Permission refused.
B v C (private law - allegation of parental alienation)[2021] EWFC B61 (06 September 2021):
Hearing of cross-applications by M for variation of child arrangements order & by F for enforcement, claiming that this was a case of parental alienation. Report:
A Father v A Mother [2023] EWFC 54 (30 March 2023):
Hearing of heavily contested proceedings concerning arrangements for 3 children, and enforcement of earlier orders. Detailed order made in effort to avoid further conflict. Full report:
X and Y (Revocation of Adoption Orders), Re [2024] EWHC 1059 (Fam) (25 April 2024):
Application by adoptive mother to revoke adoption orders in respect of two children aged 17 and 16, the adoption placement having broken down. Application refused.
A Health Board v AZ & Ors (Termination of Childhood Pregnancy: Guidance) (Rev1) [2023] EWHC 2517 (Fam) (11 October 2023):
Application by Health Board for declaration that termination of pregnancy would be in 11 year old girl's best interests. Full report:
AA v ZZ [2024] EWHC 2008 (Fam) (31 July 2024):
Father's application for child arrangements order in relation to twins. Mother claimed children were never born. Strong evidence found that at least one child was born.
Re C (‘Parental Alienation’; Instruction of Expert) [2023] EWHC 345 (Fam) (21 February 2023):
Appeal by M from refusal to reopen findings of fact in private law proceedings. Appeal dismissed. Guidance re:use of unregulated psychologists as experts. Report:
Re A (Parental Responsibility) [2023] EWCA Civ 689 (16 June 2023):
Appeal concerning distinction between married and unmarried parents with respect to the court’s power to revoke PR, and whether it discriminates against married mothers. Full report:
Williams v Williams [2023] EWHC 3479 (Fam) (25 October 2023):
Application for committal of H for contempt for failing to comply with an order for him to file Form E. H committed to prison for 56 days, suspended on terms that he file Form E within 28 days.
CS & DS (Children) [2022] EWFC 146 (05 April 2022):
Application by father for child arrangements order that both children should live with him. Live with order made in favour of the father. Full report:
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M, (Fact Finding, False Allegations, Section 91(14)) [2021] EWHC 3077 (Fam) (12 November 2021):
Fact-finding in private law proceedings, concerning serious allegations of abuse against father. Allegations not established. Full report:
V & Anor (Children: Welfare), Re [2024] EWFC 69 (31 January 2024):
Welfare hearing in child arrangements proceedings, following earlier findings of abuse against the mother. Order made for children to live with father.
G v T [2020] EWHC 1613 (Fam) (02 April 2020)
Final hearing of financial remedies application, in which the single most important dispute between the parties revolved around the value to be ascribed to the husband's interest in his business. Full report:
C v D (private law - domestic abuse - parental alienation) [2021] EWFC B60 (30 July 2021):
Private law proceedings, in which judge found that M had undermined F’s parental responsibility & this had damaged relationship between the boys and F. Full report: