Victoria Rylatt & Robyn Laye round up recent cases on international relocation, with a focus on those featuring allegations of domestic abuse
- Courts carefully consider the outcome of any previous fact finding hearings as part of a global, non-linear evaluation of welfare factors—including emotional, physical, and developmental considerations.
- Each case demonstrates the court’s commitment to holistic, child-focused evaluations, considering factors like identity needs, emotional stability, and continuity of relationships—especially with the non-relocating parent.
Within this two-part update, we summarise some of the key judgments published in the last year on international relocation. We have begun with cases where allegations of domestic abuse had been made and determined at a fact-finding hearing, prior to the court’s determination of the application for relocation. From these cases, we can see the degree to which previous findings of abuse have impacted later decisions about relocation.
AQ v BQ [2024] EWFC 222 (B)
This case concerned an application by the mother for permission to relocate with the parties’
