
Public children law case update – Autumn 2025
Emily Chapman rounds up some of the latest public children law cases of interest to practitioners.
October 10, 2025
Public children law case update – Autumn 2025
News
Must read

Families refusing access to support
Is home a suitable option for residence and care for a vulnerable adult if their family refuses access to support? Sophie Holmes analyses a recent ruling.
Features

Post-placement contact under the Adoption and Children Act 2002
October 10, 2025
Tanya Zabihi looks at the evolving guidance and statutory framework for post-placement contact.

Risk assessment – a safeguard to fairness
October 03, 2025
William Green examines the risk assessment criteria set out by the Court of Appeal for child welfare cases and how local authorities can address them.

Appealing the outcome of a fact-finding hearing in care proceedings
October 03, 2025
Graeme Bentley examines the implications for local authorities and children’s services practitioners of a recent Court of Appeal decision in which all parties supported an appeal against a Recorder’s fact-finding judgment, but, unusually, the Court dismissed it.

Parental obstruction of care
October 03, 2025
Victoria Flowers looks at the lessons from a highly unusual case in which a care order was granted for a young person (C) who was imminently to turn 17. This followed an earlier successful child assessment order application.

A hard road
Sep 19, 2025

DOLS and the Young Offender: Care or Custody?
Sep 17, 2025

Brief enquiry of age
Sep 17, 2025

What does the law say about hair strand testing?
Aug 21, 2025
Children law update: Summer 2025
Jul 22, 2025
Smile for the Camera?
Jul 18, 2025
Risk assessments in care proceedings: L-G and Re T
Jul 11, 2025
Too much?
Jul 03, 2025
The attendance of experts in family proceedings
Jun 27, 2025
Too little? When intervention is not required
Jun 27, 2025
The seven questions to address in a welfare analysis
Jun 18, 2025
Too late
Jun 18, 2025
Expert fees in public law children cases
Jun 18, 2025
Webinars
Pathfinder and the Sunflowers
In today’s episode of FortyTwo Talks, Family Law Practitioner, Rachel Chan, is joined by Estella Newbold-Brown, Partner of Amphlett Lissimore to discuss the Private Law 'Pathfinder' and Estella’s new book, Isla and Quinn The Sunflowers.
More features
The 26-week timeframe and care proceedings with an international element
Gary Fawcett examines a recent Court of Appeal ruling on the 26-week statutory time limit in care proceedings with an international element.
Too little? Or too late?
In the first in a series of articles, Catherine Rowlands examines a Court of Appeal judgment that involved a wide-ranging exploration of the law and procedure relating to challenges to decisions about care for young people brought after the event.
Re A compliance in care proceedings
Emily Henshaw looks at what Re A compliance means and why it matters.
Fact-finding hearings and allegations of rape
Although a private law children case, there are various points in a recent judgment from Mr Justice Hayden that are relevant to local authorities involved in public law children proceedings, write Joanna Thom and Harrison Engler.
The Court of Appeal on revocation of adoption orders
May 30, 2025
Delay and the 26-week time limit
May 21, 2025
The interplay of public children and Nigerian law
May 21, 2025
Infections and the broad canvas of evidence
May 21, 2025
Care proceedings and mental health
May 15, 2025
Paediatric reports in care proceedings
May 09, 2025
Public law children case update: April 2025
May 02, 2025
Recorded Webinar: Re M [2025] EWCA Civ 440
Apr 29, 2025
A bird’s eye view
Apr 15, 2025
Intermediaries and the test of necessity
Apr 15, 2025
Children law update: April 2025
Apr 15, 2025
Consensual adoption – PLWG Best Practice: A Guide
Mar 19, 2025
International adoption – PLWG Best Practice: A Guide
Mar 19, 2025
Practice and procedure – PLWG Best Practice: A Guide
Mar 19, 2025