The Court of Appeal has ruled that a judge was wrong to order that two children should be returned to their father, who the mother claimed had been abusive. The mother was English, and the father was American. They married in 2015 and lived in England with the mother’s daughter from a previous relationship. In
Last week Channel 4 Dispatches’ aired “Torn Apart: Family Courts Uncovered”. The programme reported on a voluntary survey as well as conversations with a number of families who have used the family court system and professionals working within it. Among the topics discussed were: Parental Alienation: This is a situation in which one parent uses
The Employment Tribunal has ruled that a child care centre acted unfairly when it dismissed a nursery worker over allegations that she encouraged children to kick and taunt a colleague. The case involved Miss S Flynn who had been the team leader in the baby room at the Tender Loving Childcare Centre in Kirkintilloch, Scotland
The government has changed safety rules to make it easier for leaseholders to sell their homes in blocks of flats that have cladding on the exterior walls. Currently, there are regulations relating to the External Wall System (EWS) on these flats to make sure they meet safety standards. They require an EWS1 form to make
A father has been told that he cannot invoke the Hague Convention to have his children returned to Austria after their mother took them to live in England. The Family Court was told that the children were British citizens born in the UK in 2012 and 2019 and were aged nine and two. The parents
The Court of Session has ruled that an education authority had not acted unfairly when it dismissed a teacher after indecent images were found on his computer. The issue arose after police attended the teacher’s home to carry out inquiries relating to an IP address linked to online indecent images. He was charged with possession
Cohabiting couples are to qualify for bereavement payments if one of them dies leaving dependent children. Previously, a surviving parent could only claim the financial support if they had been married or in a civil partnership at the time of their spouse or civil partner’s death. Under plans being drawn up by the government, Widowed
UK house prices rose by 10% in the year to May, according to the latest figures from the Land Registry. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices increased by 0.9% between April and May this year, compared with an increase of 0.5% during the same period in 2020. The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed
The process of managing a loved one’s affairs using a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is to be made simpler and safer. An LPA is a legal document that allows people to appoint someone else (an attorney) to make decisions about their welfare, money or property. They are often used by older people to choose
The role of a grandparent in a child’s life is unique to every family situation but many grandparents play a significant role in a child’s upbringing. Yet these relationships are often overlooked or marginalised following a breakdown of the relationship between the parents of the child. The parents can be caught in their own conflict