Family Law Cafe - This Weeks Newsletter 26.11.2024
Joanna Toch
Share your story | Know your present | Build your future Your Go-to Family Law Resource. Talk to us! 02039 040506 or info@familylawcafe.co.uk
Here is this week's family law round-up.
Family Court Judges Write Heartfelt Letters to Children: A Step Toward Understanding
When decisions are made in Family Court, children are often the most affected—but they may not fully understand the reasoning behind the outcomes. In a compassionate shift, judges are increasingly writing personal letters to children involved in their cases, explaining their decisions in a clear and empathetic way to be understood when they are older.
Prioritizing the child’s well-being above all, judges are now writing heartfelt letters to explain their decisions. Read our article below to discover three touching examples. These letters provide children with clarity, compassion, and a sense of empowerment in understanding life-changing outcomes.
You can read our full article here
One-year-old boy dies after High Court rules life support stops
A High Court judge ruled to withdraw life support for Ayden Braqi, a one-year-old with a severe, incurable neuromuscular disease, following a legal battle between Great Ormond Street Hospital and his mother. While his mother cherished his smiles and fought for continued care, the Court determined treatment no longer served Ayden's best interests.
Full story: BBC News.
Fears grow over UK children at risk placed in illegal care homes
Rising number of vulnerable youngsters are being forced into unsuitable accommodation including Airbnbs, bedsits and caravans. Full story: The Observer.
Children looked after in England including adoption: 2023 to 2024
Information on looked after children at both national and local authority levels for the financial year 2023 to 2024. Full story: Department for Education.
MP calls for all workplaces to have domestic abuse policies to support survivors
An MP has called for every workplace to have domestic abuse policies in place to ensure survivors receive “life-changing support”. Full story: Care Appointments.
Number of mainstream foster care households down by 10% over past three years
Despite rising care population, the number of non-kinship foster households fell for third consecutive year in 2023-24, with sector charity citing lack of support, respect and remuneration for carers as causes. Full story: Community Care.
• Hearing of husband's financial remedies application, the primary issue being the treatment of a post-nuptial agreement. Held that the agreement was valid, but award made to meet wife's needs. HW v WB (Financial Remedies; treatment of post-nuptial agreement) [2024] EWFC 328 (B) (05 July 2024): Bailii.
Adoption
• Application for declaration that Nigerian adoption order be recognised at common law. Declaration made. Judgment sets out tests to apply. A (A Child) (Recognition of Nigerian Adoption: Common Law Test) [2024] EWHC 2888 (Fam) (17 November 2024): Bailii.
Child Abduction
• Application by mother stranded in Pakistan, seeking to return with children to this country. Father ordered to return passports, to enable mother and children to return. E & F, Re (Stranding) [2024] EWHC 2901 (Fam) (12 November 2024): Bailii.
Child Arrangements
• Hearing of child arrangements application by father, who failed to fully engage in the proceedings. Indirect contact only ordered. N (A Child), Re [2024] EWFC 331 (B) (12 November 2024): Bailii.
• Father's application for urgent transfer of residence, following extreme alienating behaviours by mother. Ordered that child live with father. A, Re (Urgent Change of Residence to Father) [2024] EWFC 327 (B) (11 September 2024): Bailii.
• Appeal by father from dismissal of application to enforce contact order, following earlier finding that mother had manipulated children into making very serious abuse allegations against the father. Appeal allowed. GO v MM [2024] EWHC 2116 (Fam) (16 July 2024): Bailii.
Children Care Cases
• Application by father for permission to appeal against care and placement orders made in respect of his daughter, on the basis that, since the hearing before the lower court, the father has been given a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder. Permission refused. T (Fresh Evidence on Appeal) [2024] EWCA Civ 1384 (12 November 2024): Bailii.
Children Medical Treatment
• Application by NHS Trust for declarations concerning discontinuing life-sustaining treatment for child with rare genetic disorder. Declarations made. Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust v Braqi & Anor [2024] EWHC 2910 (Fam) (15 November 2024): Bailii.
Divorce Finances
• Final hearing of wife's financial remedies application. Matrimonial assets divided 38%/62% in husband's favour, to reflect that the husband would be left with shares, which may be significantly more risk-laden. WW v XX [2024] EWFC 330 (B) (11 October 2024): Bailii.
Surrogacy
• Application for parental order following surrogacy arrangement in Nigeria, where one of the applicants died. Parental order made. XW, Re (Parental Order: Death of an Applicant) [2024] EWHC 2082 (Fam) (14 May 2024): Bailii.
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