SAB (A Child), Re

SAB (A Child), Re

The court found on the balance of probabilities that there was no agreement for the applicant to be a mere sperm donor and that the welfare of the child required that he have contact with his father. The court held that the benefits to the child of knowing his father outweighed the objections of the mothers.

Parties
Applicant: DB; Respondent: AB; Respondent: CB; Child/guardian: SAB (by his guardian)
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
23 January 2014
Procedural Posture
Family / Judgment
Outcome
Contact order granted
Legal Topics
Parental Responsibility, Contact Orders, Sperm Donation, Child Welfare
Family Law Child Law Parental Responsibility Contact Orders Sperm Donation Child Welfare

Case Brief

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Parties

DB

Applicant

AB

Respondent

CB

Respondent

SAB (by his guardian)

Child/guardian

Procedural Posture

Family / Judgment

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the applicant father should have contact with the child SAB
  2. 2 Whether there was an agreement that the applicant would be a sperm donor only and have no involvement in the child's life
  3. 3 What contact arrangements are in the best interests of the child

Ratio Decidendi

The court found on the balance of probabilities that there was no agreement for the applicant to be a mere sperm donor and that the welfare of the child required that he have contact with his father. The court held that the benefits to the child of knowing his father outweighed the objections of the mothers.

Court Disposition

Contact order granted

Orders

  • The applicant father is to have supervised contact with the child SAB for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours at least once a fortnight, initially supervised.