Case No. EWFC-92

38.In Re H the Court directed that the child should not have any contact with the Mother (the alienating parent) for three-months to protect the child’s welfare during the change to reside with the father. In this similar case, the circumstances of this case, where the experts have clearly recommended that there be no contact with the Mother until the Court can be satisfied that she has accepted that the child lives with the Father, an order that the Mother shall have no contact in the interim is appropriate and I made such an order for a period of up to 6-8 weeks, thereafter contact should be guided and assisted by the fathers Local Authority in which the father and child reside. It is clear that any other order would disrupt the child’s ability to settle into the Father’s home. I urged the mother to find it in herself to support the move to assist the child in settling and trusting the father. 39.A decision to change residence from one parent to another is an extremely difficult balancing act. The factors involved are myriad and the eventual outcome usually uncertain. I have balanced the potential harm to the child from removing him from his mother’s care against moving to his father’s care. Placement with the father is preferable for the reasons stated in this judgment but he will need to take the steps set out by Dr Alwin for himself and be assisted by the Local Authority.