9 July 2013
EU harmonisation of surrogacy law: a pipe dream?
Surrogacy hits the headlines again this week, not because of the Coronation Street story line, but following the report (commissioned by the European Parliament) on surrogacy across the EU Member States. My initial hope was that this comparative report would be the precursor to some form of harmonisation across Europe, but sadly, it seems that the lack of consensus between EU countries on the legality of surrogacy means we are a long way off a harmonisation of approach.
8 July 2013
Summer surge in children applications - dealing with the queues in Court
Today, CAFCASS (The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) confirmed receipt of 4,267 new private law referrals for the month of June, representing a 29% increase on the figures for the same month last year. Last month’s report confirmed that 5,038 cases were referred in May 2013, which was the highest amount on record. These figures show that, after a slight lull in 2011 (after the introduction of compulsory Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) in 2010), private law children applications are on the increase.
10 September 2012
Record number of babies born to foreign-born mothers
The Government has just published updated figures showing that over ¼ (25.5%) of children born in the UK have a foreign-born mother. This is the highest proportion since records began in 1969. In London the figure is a staggering 56.7%.
27 July 2012
International child relocation: a new approach
Last summer, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, in MK v CK, signalled a dramatic shift in the approach to international child relocation cases. In cases with care significantly shared between two parents, the courts will now often refuse permission to relocate a child abroad.
13 July 2012
Superstars' super quick divorce
At the end of June, Katie Holmes filed for a divorce from her husband of 5 years, Tom Cruise. Now, less than two weeks later, a settlement has been reached and a joint statement released confirming the pairs’ commitment to working together for the sake of their daughter, Suri.