26 September 2025
Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Rylatt and Robyn Laye of Anthony Gold Solicitors examine recent international relocation cases where allegations of domestic abuse shaped outcomes
In AQ v BQ and G v H, mothers sought to move children to Australia, but courts stressed continuity of paternal ties, rejecting one claim and allowing another only on a knife-edge balance.
Meanwhile, in Re O, the Court of Appeal upheld a mother’s right to relocate to the UAE despite welfare risks, citing the father’s coercive behaviour. Another case, WX v YZ, saw a mother permitted to return to her home country with three children, though one stayed in the UK.
The thread running through all: judges prioritise child welfare through holistic, non-linear assessments—balancing safety, identity and continuity of relationships. The results show relocation law as a fraught arena where each decision reshapes family futures in profound ways.
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