Children: Parental Responsibility [2025] EWFC 462 (29 August 2025)

Children: Parental Responsibility [2025] EWFC 462 (29 August 2025)

M2's inability to accept the court's findings, her implacable hostility to F, and her ongoing behaviour present a significant risk of emotional harm to RF and AF if she retains parental responsibility or unsupervised contact. The police disclosure and new evidence do not undermine the February 2025 findings on parentage. F should be granted parental responsibility for RF and AF. M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF should be removed. M2 should not have parental responsibility or contact with FA. Contact between M2 and RF/AF should be supervised. Applications for baptism, foreign passports, and unrestricted travel are refused. The welfare of the children requires a clear, stable...

Citation
[2025] EWFC 462
Parties
Applicant: M1; Respondent 1/cross Applicant 1: M2; Respondent 2/cross Applicant 2: F; Respondents 3 5: RF, AF and FA (by their Children's Guardian Mr B)
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
29 August 2025
Procedural Posture
Family Law Children / Final Welfare Hearing Following Fact Finding and Parentage Declarations
Outcome
M2's applications to set aside the February 2025 judgment, for parental responsibility for FA, for adoption, for baptism, for foreign passports, and for unrestricted travel are refused. F is granted parental responsibility for RF and AF. M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF is removed. M2 is to have only...
Legal Topics
Parental Responsibility, Child Arrangements Orders, Declarations of Parentage, Prohibited Steps Orders, Change of Surname, Removal of Parental Responsibility, Adoption, Specific Issue Orders, Disclosure of Court Papers, Relocation, Supervised Contact, S91(14) Orders
Family Law Children Law Parental Responsibility Child Arrangements Orders Declarations of Parentage Prohibited Steps Orders Change of Surname Removal of Parental Responsibility +6 more

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Parties

M1

Applicant

M2

Respondent 1/cross Applicant 1

F

Respondent 2/cross Applicant 2

RF, AF and FA (by their Children's Guardian Mr B)

Respondents 3 5

Procedural Posture

Family Law Children / Final Welfare Hearing Following Fact Finding and Parentage Declarations

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF should be removed
  2. 2 Whether F should be granted parental responsibility for RF and AF
  3. 3 Whether M2 should have parental responsibility for FA

Ratio Decidendi

M2's inability to accept the court's findings, her implacable hostility to F, and her ongoing behaviour present a significant risk of emotional harm to RF and AF if she retains parental responsibility or unsupervised contact. The police disclosure and new evidence do not undermine the February 2025 findings on parentage. F should be granted parental responsibility for RF and AF. M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF should be removed. M2 should not have parental responsibility or contact with FA. Contact between M2 and RF/AF should be supervised. Applications for baptism, foreign passports, and unrestricted travel are refused. The welfare of the children requires a clear, stable...

Court Disposition

M2's applications to set aside the February 2025 judgment, for parental responsibility for FA, for adoption, for baptism, for foreign passports, and for unrestricted travel are refused. F is granted parental responsibility for RF and AF. M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF is removed. M2 is to have only...

Orders

  • F granted parental responsibility for RF and AF
  • M2's parental responsibility for RF and AF removed