Partner, Emily Boardman, has written numerous articles for prospective adopters to help them understand when they may need to take legal advice, as well as to understand their rights if any disputes were to occur with placements or birth parents.
The majority of prospective adopters make their application to adopt through the normal ‘agency’ route – they are approved as adopters, they are matched with a child, the child is placed with them, the LA supports them in making an application to adopt that child, and the LA (on the
Nearly a year ago the public law working group published their recommendations for best practice in respect of adoption. The part of that report that got the most attention was the chapter on contact and in this article I will look at what that report said and what it means
I have recently represented two sets of foster carers in adoption applications that were opposed by the Local Authority. The first is unreported but the central issue was whether a young child, placed with the foster carers at birth, should remain with the foster carers or be moved to other
I have previously written about a High Court decision to refuse to revoke an adoption order under the inherent jurisdiction: https://www.bholegal.co.uk/revocation-of-adoption-orders/ As a brief reminder this was an application by an adoptive mother of two teenagers. The children had left her care (after many years) and returned to their birth
A case has just been published in which I represented the applicant, an adoptive mother, who sought to revoke adoption orders made many years ago in relation to two children known as X and Y. The case was heard by Mrs Justice Lieven in the High Court and the judgment
In another article that aims to provide information for prospective adopters Emily Boardman sets out the challenges for a family when safeguarding concerns arise prior to the making of the adoption order. This article is about the removal of a child who has been placed with prospective adopters (PAs) before
There are a number of circumstances that can call into question the plan for adoption for a child. In the second of a two-part series solicitor Emily Boardman sets out the legal challenges available to birth parents in England and Wales that can delay, or in rare circumstances, disrupt the
There are a number of circumstances that can call into question the plan for adoption for a child. In the first of a two-part series solicitor Emily Boardman sets out the legal challenges available to birth parents in England and Wales that can delay, or in rare circumstances, disrupt the
I am a trustee at Adoption UK and I am a family solicitor. I represent birth families and children in care proceedings, and adopters in adoption proceedings. I think these various roles put me in an ideal position to reflect on National Adoption Week, which begins today, 17 October 2022.
In February I wrote an article that summarised the first Judgment in relation to the Somerset cases of non-compliant placement orders. The President of the Family Division has now published the Judgment in relation to the second case and this Judgment tells us, as expected, the way forward. The full