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07 April 2023 / Sarah Hughes , Victoria Rylatt
Issue: 8020 / Categories: Features , Family , Child law , International , Covid-19
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Child relocation: the post-COVID landscape

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What impact has the pandemic had on international & internal child relocation? Sarah Hughes & Victoria Rylatt survey the key changes
  • There remains a marked decrease in the number of international leave to remove cases being reported since the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • However, there appears to be a greater number of parents wishing to relocate within England and Wales.
  • There has also been an increase in shared care arrangements.

Child relocation cases are difficult and often finely balanced cases, with everything to win and lose. They are expensive to run and require detailed preparation by the parent who wishes to relocate. Over the last couple of years, the world has experienced unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its effects on the family court system have been considerable. In this article we will look at the impact on these cases of the pandemic and a rise in shared care arrangements, as well as a recent case involving applications for leave to remove

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