Child law

A Byzantine set of rules governs the release of documents in children proceedings: David Burrows calls for some sorely-needed simplicity

How are the courts applying the law in relation to the issue of ‘parental alienation’? Luke Scarratt, senior associate at Payne Hicks Beach, investigates how the law is being applied and what tools the courts have at their disposal.

Parental alienation has the potential to cause serious harm to families & children: Luke Scarratt discusses the tools at the court’s disposal when it raises its head

Unaccompanied children housed in Home Office-run hotels are protected in full by the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), the High Court has held.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published a toolkit which aims to increase awareness of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) and help parents and carers access funds belonging to disabled young people, should they lose the capacity to make decisions themselves. 

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published: ‘Making finance decisions for young people: parent and carer toolkit’. 

In this week’s NLJ, Caroline Bowden, consultant at Anthony Gold, is cautiously optimistic about a Ministry of Justice (MoJ) consultation on the earlier resolution of private family law arrangements for children, finances and housing. The aim is to keep family disputes out of court where possible, an aspiration approved of by family lawyers.

For many participants in a family dispute, almost any alternative is better than ending up in court. Caroline Bowden hopes the government will succeed in getting this message across

Personal injury lawyers have called for the limitation period for claims from victims of child abuse to be abolished with immediate effect.

Grandparents taking on the care of vulnerable children as special guardians could miss out on an extension to legal aid, the Law Society has warned.