Prospective Adopters v Lincolnshire County Council & Ors

Prospective Adopters v Lincolnshire County Council & Ors

The court declined to impose a s 51A post-adoption contact order, finding that the paramount need of AB and C is to settle securely into their adoptive home, and that flexibility and professional support for evolving contact arrangements better serve their welfare than a rigid court order. The parties agreed to a child-focused post-adoption contact framework, endorsed and annexed to the adoption order.

Parties
Applicant: Prospective Adopters (PA); 1st Respondent: Lincolnshire County Council; 2nd Respondent: BM; 3rd Respondent: BF; 4th and 5th Respondents: AB / C (Children represented by their Children’s Guardian)
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
03 February 2026
Procedural Posture
Adoption / Final Judgment and Orders
Outcome
Adoption order granted for AB; no s 51A contact order imposed.
Legal Topics
Adoption, Post Adoption Contact, Child Welfare, Sibling Contact, Parental Responsibility
Family Law Child Welfare Adoption Post Adoption Contact Sibling Contact Parental Responsibility

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Parties

Prospective Adopters (PA)

Applicant

Lincolnshire County Council

1st Respondent

BM

2nd Respondent

BF

3rd Respondent

AB / C (Children represented by their Children’s Guardian)

4th and 5th Respondents

Procedural Posture

Adoption / Final Judgment and Orders

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether an adoption order should be made for AB
  2. 2 Whether a post-adoption contact order under s 51A ACA 2002 should be imposed
  3. 3 How to safeguard sibling and birth family relationships post-adoption

Ratio Decidendi

The court declined to impose a s 51A post-adoption contact order, finding that the paramount need of AB and C is to settle securely into their adoptive home, and that flexibility and professional support for evolving contact arrangements better serve their welfare than a rigid court order. The parties agreed to a child-focused post-adoption contact framework, endorsed and annexed to the adoption order.

Court Disposition

Adoption order granted for AB; no s 51A contact order imposed.

Orders

  • Adoption order made in respect of AB.
  • Post-adoption contact framework endorsed and annexed to the adoption order.