News Essentials: 5th September 2020

A brief summary of the essential family law news and cases from the last week: 

NEWS

Family Public Law Reform: National rollout of digital care and supervision applications resumes
New online service will resume its national roll out from 14 September 2020. Full story: Family Law Week.

Teenagers at heightened risk of some forms of abuse compared to younger children
NSPCC publishes report. Full story: Family Law Week.

Charity launches free domestic abuse advice line for businesses
A new advice line for businesses supporting employees experiencing or at risk of domestic abuse has been launched by domestic abuse charity Hestia. Full story: Family Law Week.

Give couples more freedom to choose where they marry, Law Commission proposes
Law Commission launches consultation on marriage law reform. Full story: Family Law Week.

Court agrees to withdraw boy's hospital treatment
A 12-year-old boy with brain injuries will have his treatment withdrawn after a High Court judge found it was not in his best interests to prolong life. Full story: BBC News.

Warning of rise in child protection referrals as English schools reopen
Labour and a leading charity urge government to help by committing extra resources. Full story: The Guardian.

CASES

K (A Child) (Stay of Return Order: Asylum Application) (Contact to a Parent in Self-Isolation) [2020] EWHC 2394 (Fam) (04 September 2020)
Application by father for stay of order requiring return of child to Russia, pending asylum application by child. stay granted. Full report: Bailii.

J, Re [2020] EWHC 2395 (Fam) (25 August 2020)
Wardship application in relation to 16 year old beyond parental control, seeking a residential placement with deprivation of liberty attached. Full report: Bailii.

B and S (Children) [2020] EWFC B39 (19 August 2020)
Final hearing of care proceedings concerning two children. Children placed with their maternal great aunt and uncle, under a Special Guardianship Order. Full report: Bailii.

JB v DB [2020] EWHC 2301 (Fam) (23 July 2020)
Application by W to implement terms of consent order, made on premise that properties in London and New York constituted matrimonial property and their value would be aggregated, along with another property which has since been sold, and the overall value divided equally between the parties. It was an implied premise of the order that the trusts which owned the London property and one of the units that comprised the New York property would be collapsed or dissolved to enable the proceeds or their value to be divided equally between the parties. Since found that the trusts were not capable of being collapsed or dissolved, so the order was set aside. Full report: Bailii.

Moutreuil v Andreewitch & Anor [2020] EWHC 2068 (Fam) (29 July 2020)
Proceedings between claimant and her former cohabitee, in which she sought determination of her beneficial interest in shares in a company, and issued an application under Children Act Schedule 1.

Full report: Bailii.

ABC (Children: Overlaying Child), Re [2020] EWFC 57 (17 August 2020)
Care proceedings concerning three children Fact-finding hearing to establish cause of death of fourth sibling. Found that the child died as a result of overlaying by his mother or by his father. Full report: Bailii.

J (secure accommodation order - bespoke placement) [2020] EWFC B38 (01 September 2020)
Application for a secure accommodation order in relation to a young woman of seventeen who has been living in the care of the local authority for the past eighteen months. Full report: Bailii.

D (A Child : care proceedings - kinship placement no contact to father) [2020] EWFC B37 (23 July 2020)
Welfare hearing in respect of eleven year old child with a diagnosis of DeSanto-Shinawi, a neurological condition marked by a collection of difficulties that affect emotional, social and cognitive functions. Full report: Bailii.