SQ25P00020 - [2025] EWHC 2135 (Fam)

Fecha: 30-Jul-2025

Section 1

This judgment was delivered in private. The judge has given leave for this version of the judgment to be published on condition that (irrespective of what is contained in the judgment) in any published version of the judgment the anonymity of the children and members of their family must be strictly preserved. All persons, including representatives of the media and legal bloggers, must ensure that this condition is strictly complied with. Failure to do so may be a contempt of court.

Mrs Justice Lieven DBE :

These proceedings concern three children, A (aged 14) and twins C and T (aged 10) (“the twins”). The Applicant is the Father (“F”) and the First Respondent is the Mother (“M”). The children are the Second to Fourth Respondents, represented by the Children’s Guardian.

The F represented himself, and was accompanied by a Mckenzie Friend. The M was represented by Joshua Brindle and the Children’s Guardian was represented by Rebecca Franklin.

There are a number of applications before the court.

The F applies:

(1)

to reopen the fact finding judgment of District Judge Bailey in 2021 by reason of his diagnosis of autism (“ASD”) in 2024;

(2)

for permission to make a further application for a Child Arrangements Order (“CAO”) in respect of the children and for the children to live with him;

(3)

for Cafcass to be removed from representing the children and for an Independent Social Worker (“ISW”) to be appointed instead.

The M applies for an extension of the s.91(14) order up to the children’s 18th birthdays and for a costs order against the F.