Brothers kept together with support under Care Order

Case report: Confidential children’s care proceedings. Lorraine Green represented two brothers in relation to care proceedings brought by the local authority, following concerns about their parent’s capacity to protect them in light of drug and alcohol misuse, domestic abuse and ...

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Multi-agency cooperation and complex care needs agreed

Case report: [2021] EWCOP 21. As more agencies get involved in a vulnerable person’s care and living arrangements, it can be harder to navigate the fine line between them to reach a solution.  Rachel Turner, who is joint head of our mental health ...

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Care order application dismissed after threshold not crossed in alleged non-accidental injury case

Case report: [2021] EWFC B36. A local authority’s application for a care order in respect of two children, issued after the discovery of an alleged non-accidental injury following their sibling’s death, was dismissed and the family was applauded for their ...

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Do care proceedings allow enough time for parents with a disability to develop parenting skills?

Case report: Confidential.  Kate Hammond recently represented children in care proceedings after the local authority raised concerns about their parents, both of whom have learning disabilities. This case has potentially important implications for the way parents with learning disabilities are ...

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Housing secured after DWP error on Universal Credit

Lawyers from our housing team recently helped a victim of domestic violence to keep her home, after an error by DWP created a threat of eviction. Our client had been a victim of persistent and long-term domestic violence from her ...

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Court of Protection confirms right to refuse proposed inpatient treatment

Case report: A Mental Health Trust v ER & Anor [2021] EWCOP 32 (30 April 2021). Mrs Justice Lieven confirmed that it was not in the best interests of our client to ‘be forced to accept treatment … she does ...

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Varying a joint lives divorce settlement to achieve a clean break

Having agreed all the arrangements for accommodation, children and finances after a divorce, most people are able to move on to build a new life and become self-sufficient without having to revisit the financial settlement.  However, there are occasions where ...

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Child maintenance responsibilities enforced in China with a Schedule 1 application

Case report: Confidential Some parents will do anything to try and avoid paying their share of child maintenance, even moving to the other side of the world.  But this does not mean that they are beyond the reach of English ...

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Court of Protection gives former refugee the right to refuse nutrition treatment

Case report: [2020] EWCOP 37. Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership and North Bristol NHS Trust v WA and DT A young man who has been refusing food and drink, in protest at the Home Office’s change to his date ...

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