Alternative Families and Children: A review of the recent case of A v B and C

Alex Verdan QC and Charles Hale, both of 4 Paper Buildings, counsel for the father in A v B and C, consider the lessons that can be learned by practitioners from the Court of Appeal judgment.

The recent Court of Appeal decision of A v B and C [2012] EWCA Civ 285, attracted much media interest. It has highlighted again the complicated and important legal issues arising in children cases concerning alternative families, i.e. with same sex parents: in particular, the relationship of such children with their fathers; the significance of pre-birth agreements relating to the adults’ relationships with the children; and the weight to be given to the views of the primary carers. In this article we review the authorities in the area and consider how A v B and C has affected the landscape.

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Authors

Alex Verdan QC
Charles Hale QC