District judge ‘sarcastic and shaking with rage’ in flawed family hearing – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The Family Court has overturned a district judge’s care ruling after finding she “crossed the line” during the hearing, creating a hostile atmosphere and alienating everyone appearing before her.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 25th October 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Public law children cases: improving parental situations, robust case management and judicial pressure – Local Government Lawyer

‘Georgina Dalton rounds up the latest children law cases, including rulings on improvements to parents’ situations, unfair judicial pressure, and deprivations of liberty of 16-17 year olds.’

Full Story

Local Government Lawyer, 18th October 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Special Guardianship Orders and Overseas Placements – Family Law Week

Posted July 25th, 2019 in children, foreign jurisdictions, guardianship, news, placement orders by tracey

‘Maria Wright, PhD Candidate at the University of Bristol, and solicitor, highlights some of the challenges associated with placing children under SGOs overseas and asks whether such placements warrant a distinct form of legal framework tailored to meet their specific needs.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 19th July 2019

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Placement of a child outside their natural family – Family Law

Posted October 31st, 2018 in children, families, news, placement orders by sally

‘What factors does a court need to consider regarding the placement of a child away from their extended family? Amina Ahmed, barrister at Garden Court Chambers, explores the test used in deciding the correct balance for a child’s growing up in his culture of origin or in proximity with his family in the UK.’

Full Story

Family Law, 31st October 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (August 2018) – Family Law Week

‘John Tughan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews recent, important Children Public Law cases.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 15th August 2018

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Removing a party to proceedings: A Local Authority v F and others – Family Law

‘Family analysis: Following A Local Authority v F and others [2018] EWHC 451 (Fam), [2018] All ER (D) 68 (Mar) Gemma Taylor QC, of 42 Bedford Row Chambers, explains the circumstances under which a local authority can be absolved of its duties to consult with a parent and provide information.’

Full Story

Family Law, 27th March 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Mother faces £20,000 costs bill despite successfully challenging care order – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 23rd, 2018 in costs, legal aid, local government, news, placement orders by tracey

‘Local authorities should not have to cover legal aid funding deficiencies, the Court of Appeal has said, while upholding a mother’s challenge against a placement order. A placement order allows the local authority to place a child with suitable adopters following care proceedings, even if the parents do not agree.’

Full Story

Law Society's Gazette, 22nd February 2018

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Court ruling on decision to place a child with sibling’s adopters (Re B (a child)) – Family Law

Posted January 30th, 2018 in adoption, appeals, families, news, placement orders by sally

‘Family analysis: Emily James, barrister at The 36 Group, considers the practical implications of the Court of Appeal judgment in Re B (A Child) (Care Proceedings) [2018] EWCA Civ 20, [2018] All ER (D) 74 (Jan), in which a decision to place a child for adoption, even when there was a viable family placement available, was upheld.’

Full Story

Family Law, 29th January 2018

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Dodgy drug test results – what should I do? – Transparency Project

‘On 21 November the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal’s Service issued advice for those concerned about potentially unreliable forensic toxicology (drug) tests in some family cases. The advice also relates to criminal trials, but this post looks at the issue for people who have been involved with a family court case and who are worried that the test results may have been dodgy.’

Full Story

Transparency Project, 23rd November 2017

Source: www.transparencyproject.org.uk

Chris Ferguson discusses; Proportionality and Integrity – Park Square Barristers

Posted October 20th, 2017 in care orders, children, fostering, grandparents, news, placement orders, proportionality by sally

‘Not long ago I represented a pair of maternal grandparents in a case in Teesside. They had been closely involved with the family over a period of years, although the mother of the two girls at the heart of the case had moved away (not far) during recent times. The mother had various problems and the father barely featured in the proceedings. A few years back the grandparents had actually taken the older girl under their wing for a while (prior to the birth of her sister) and the girls’ older brother was living with them full time under a court order.’

Full Story

Park Square Barristers, 6th October 2017

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Public Law Clients with Learning Disabilities – Bridging the gap – Family Law Week

‘Gillian Geddes, barrister, of Hind Court considers the correct focus for public law arguments in support of parents with learning disabilities being allowed to care for their children.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 20th September 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Children: Public Law Update (August 2017) – Family Law Week

‘John Tughan QC of 4 Paper Buildings reviews a range of recent important public law cases.’

Full Story

Family Law Week, 9th August 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Fall in decisions for adoption orders halted but local variation remains: report – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 25th, 2017 in adoption, guardianship, local government, news, placement orders, reports by sally

‘The fall in decisions for adoption and placement orders seems to have halted but this masks a high degree of variation in decision-making at a local and regional level, data collected by the Adoption Leadership Board has suggested.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 24th April 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

How is the PLO working? What is its impact on court process and outcome? – Family Law Week

‘The last five years have brought important reforms to care proceedings. The Judiciary made proposals for modernising family justice with a focus on strong judicial leadership, judicial continuity and better case management.2 The Family Justice Review3 recommended that the duration of care proceedings should be limited to 26 weeks, that fewer experts should be instructed in proceedings and there should be more limited scrutiny of the care plan, with the court considering only the plan for permanency (care by the parents(s), placement in the extended family, long-term fostering, or adoption) and not matters such as services for the child and contact arrangements. The Review’s recommendations were enacted in the Children and Families Act 2014, supplemented by new procedural rules (the PLO 2014) and implemented on April 22, 2014. This date also marked the opening of the Family Court, replacing the triple jurisdiction of the Family Proceedings Court, the County Court and the High Court. ‘

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th February 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Guidance issued on s. 20 Children Act amid fears councils could misinterpret law – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 5th, 2016 in care orders, children, local government, news, placement orders by sally

‘Cafcass, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS) and ADSS Cymru have published guidance aimed at clarifying the expectations on local authorities for children looked after under s. 20 of the Children Act 1989.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Government details law changes to address fall in adoption decisions – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Government has set out how it plans to change the law to address falls in local authority adoption decisions and the courts’ granting of placement orders.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 30th March 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council ordered to pay damages to boy over delay in revoking placement order – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 18th, 2016 in damages, delay, local government, news, placement orders by tracey

‘A Family Court judge has ordered a council to pay a 10-year-old boy £5,000 in damages after it failed for three years to seek to revoke a placement order.’

Full story

Local Government Lawyer, 15th March 2016

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Adoption, foreign nationals and parental consent: where are we now? – Family Law Week

‘Michael Jones, Barrister, Deans Court Chambers, analyses the implications of a recent judgment in Re JL and AO (Babies Relinquished for Adoption) which concerned the adoption of children with the consent of the foreign parents.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 17th March 2016

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Placement and Adoption: if a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing well – Family Law Week

Posted July 3rd, 2015 in adoption, consent, news, placement orders by tracey

‘Mavis Amonoo-Acquah, Pupil Barrister, 1 Garden Court Family Law Chambers, considers recent judicial guidance, and its application, in respect of non-consensual adoption.’

Full story

Family Law Week, 23rd June 2015

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

‘How not to embark upon, and pursue, a care case’ – Park Square Barristers

Posted March 19th, 2015 in care orders, news, placement orders, social services by sally

‘In the 2014 case Re R (A Child) [2014] EWCA Civ 1625, the president considered the post-Re B & -Re B-S landscape, stressing that ‘Re B-S was not intended to change and has not changed the law’ [para. 44] on adoption. The president’s judgment clarified that, in the wake of Re B and Re B-S, it is not right to say that an application for a placement order now has to ‘surmount a much higher hurdle’ or to exclaim that ‘adoption is over’.’

Full story

Park Square Barristers, 25th February 2015

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk