This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes Family Public Law (FPL) release notes 8 and 9 of 2025 regarding design changes to be made to the FPL HMCTS portal as to Form C110a document upload functionality and gatekeeping, guidance for the judiciary from the President of the Family Division on writing to children and details of a survey on special measures in family proceedings. Analysis of two Court of Appeal decisions on the correct approach to an application to change a child’s given name and the jurisdiction to revoke or set aside an adoption order are detailed. A new Practice Note on repayment of maintenance and power to remit arrears is also set out.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes analysis of the criteria for Hadkinson orders made in children proceedings and a decision emphasising that the role of the Court of Protection should be to find the available option which is the least restrictive of autonomy and human rights. The new Suspected Inflicted Head Injury Service (SIHIS) for children pilot is also considered and details of a new pre-application protocol and non-court dispute resolution (NCDR) toolkit for family practitioners set out.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes details of a new protocol on the disclosure of information between coroners and the Family Court in cases involving fatality. Analysis of a High Court decision on unlawful surrogacy arrangements is also set out, together with notable aspects of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement, analysis of recent judgments on whether a Mesher order was appropriate, forced marriage protection orders and appeals made out of time. A new Practice Note on the citation of authorities in the family courts and a new flowchart on applications under Part 18 of the Family Procedure Rules 2010 are also set out.

This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (Commencement No 6, 8 and 9 and Saving Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/1222, extending the domestic abuse protection order pilot in specified areas of England and Wales from 26 November 2025 to 31 March 2026 and confirmation from HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) that from 24 November 2025 it is mandatory for legal representatives to use the Private Family Law Digital Service if it is available in their area. Details of the sixth Family Procedure Rules 2010, PD Update of 2025 and the Budget on 26 November 2025 are also set out. Recent judgments on the duration of orders under section 91(14) of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), applications for summary return orders under the 1980 Hague Convention and an application for financial remedies over 20 years after a financial agreement was reached are considered.

This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the Family Public Law release notes updating Form C110a case name section. Analyses of a rare High Court decision regarding sham trusts and deprivation of liberty orders and choice of accommodation are included. Judgments on summary return orders under the 1980 Hague Convention are also considered.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights sets out details of court and tribunal opening times over Easter 2024 and the President of the Family Division’s announcement suspending the listing of hearings in the Family Division of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice on Mondays. It also considers decisions regarding the HMCTS Protocol for managing potentially violent people and the making of a care order in circumstances where the local authority had made an application for a deprivation of liberty order.

This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes analyses of the High Court’s confirmation that the presumption against an intention to create legal relations could apply to unmarried cohabiting couples and the Court of Appeal’s ruling that any decision about the care and treatment of a mentally incapacitated adult was subject to the best interests framework including in clinical decisions. Details of an update to the Standard Family Orders and HMCTS progress and next steps for family courts are set out. Recent judgments on a husband’s attempt to resist his wife’s no-fault divorce application on grounds of alleged incapacity and incompatibility, an application for a transparency order relating to the death of a minor child and summary return orders are also considered.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes details of the launch of the domestic abuse protection order pilot, Family Public Law release note 5 of 2024 and speeches by Lord Justice Jackson and Mr Justice MacDonald. A new local practice note enforcing strict adherence to the Public Law Outline in London family courts is considered. Recent judgments on the separate representation of children following a 1980 Hague Convention return decision and charging orders, interest on arrears and the application of the fixed costs regime are also set out.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes details of private children proceedings in which the role of the family court as to fact-finding was considered and the correct approach to cases where there are allegations of domestic abuse. The involvement of various agencies in forced marriage cases is also examined, together with expert evidence in public children proceedings.

This week's edition of Family weekly highlights includes details of a judgment from the President of the Family Division where he sets out guidance on the approach to take to cross-examination where no qualified legal representatives (QLR) are available, a new protocol on the disclosure of information between family and criminal agencies and jurisdictions and analysis of the Family Court decision on whether an adoption order should be made in circumstances where a parental order could not be made due to the surrogate’s lack of consent. Guidance on the preparation of electronic bundles in public children proceedings is also set out as well as details of new Practice Notes on the one lawyer, two clients model and the appointment of QLRs to conduct cross-examination in family proceedings.

This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes details of the recently published joint report by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and others regarding children affected by domestic abuse who are not always recognised as victims in their own right despite legal recognition under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. Details of an HMCTS divorce law release note allowing solicitors to withdraw a draft case are set out. Recent judgments on an application for a domestic adoption order, child arrangements order, application for access to documents from private family law cases, setting aside a Hague Convention return order and the classification of surrogacy expenses in relation to the receipt of benefits are also considered.

This week's edition of the Family weekly highlights includes analysis of the implications of the Family Justice Council guidance on covert recordings in children proceedings. Recent judgments on adoption, anonymisation and an application to vary a transparency order and the Court of Appeal’s consideration of an appeal against a summary return order are also included.