DD (A Child), In the Matter Of [2025] EWFC 500 (B) (29 August 2025)

DD (A Child), In the Matter Of [2025] EWFC 500 (B) (29 August 2025)

The court found that the child’s welfare required the development of a relationship with her father through regular unsupervised contact, with handovers via a third party and the father subject to an undertaking to abstain from drug use for 24 hours before contact. The mother’s opposition to contact and attempts to exclude the father were not justified by the evidence. The father was granted parental responsibility. The court found no basis for a fact-finding hearing on the mother’s allegations, and the evidence did not support restricting contact to supervised only.

Citation
[2025] EWFC 500 (B)
Parties
Applicant: DDF; First Respondent: DDM; Second Respondent: DD (by her guardian)
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
29 August 2025
Procedural Posture
Child Arrangements / Family Law Children Act 1989 / Final Judgment After Contested Hearing and Submissions
Outcome
Application granted in part; final child arrangements order made.
Legal Topics
Child Arrangements Order, Parental Responsibility, Declaration of Parentage, Contact Disputes, Welfare of the Child, Domestic Abuse Allegations, Drug Use Allegations, Psychological Assessment
Family Law Child Arrangements Order Parental Responsibility Declaration of Parentage Contact Disputes Welfare of the Child Domestic Abuse Allegations Drug Use Allegations +1 more

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Parties

DDF

Applicant

DDM

First Respondent

DD (by her guardian)

Second Respondent

Procedural Posture

Child Arrangements / Family Law Children Act 1989 / Final Judgment After Contested Hearing and Submissions

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the father should have unsupervised contact with the child
  2. 2 Whether a parental responsibility order should be made in favour of the father
  3. 3 Whether the mother’s allegations (including drug use and sexual assault) preclude contact or parental responsibility

Ratio Decidendi

The court found that the child’s welfare required the development of a relationship with her father through regular unsupervised contact, with handovers via a third party and the father subject to an undertaking to abstain from drug use for 24 hours before contact. The mother’s opposition to contact and attempts to exclude the father were not justified by the evidence. The father was granted parental responsibility. The court found no basis for a fact-finding hearing on the mother’s allegations, and the evidence did not support restricting contact to supervised only.

Court Disposition

Application granted in part; final child arrangements order made.

Orders

  • Father to have regular unsupervised contact with the child, with handovers via a third party (Mr B or Ms L, or others as agreed)
  • Father to abstain from drug use for 24 hours before contact and to provide undertakings to that effect