Parental Alienation & Private Children Law - The Latest

Introduction

Parental alienation, or more typically referred to as ‘alienating behaviours’, is becoming more involved and significant in private children law cases.

Children practitioners working in private children law will often come across high conflict contact and child arrangements matters. Whether you represent the applicant or the respondent, there will often be blame being attributed to each other, and sadly, the child often gets caught in the middle of what is a dispute between the adults. What should you do in situations relating to ‘implacable hostility’ and ‘alienating behaviour’ cases?

This webinar will consider the various options available and the development of this area of children law.

What You Will Learn

This webinar will cover the following:

• Enforcement of Orders and the use of Children Act 1989 - s.11
• A v B and C (by her Children’s Guardian) - the use of parental responsibility when having contact with a child - a useful compromise in high conflict contact cases?
• RE N-A (Children) and Re C (Child: Ability to Instruct Solicitor) - consideration of the judge questioning the child, and use of the guidance surrounding judges meeting children
• H-B (Contact) - is to ‘make available’, to simply allow, to encourage, or to ensure?
• CH v CT - steps to take in applying to enforce contact, by way of committal - the correct procedure
• Is switching of live with arrangements a possibility?
• Parental alienation case law developments
• Consideration of Re H (Parental Alienation)
• Implications of Re S (Parental Alienation: Cult: Transfer of Primary Care)
• Alienating behaviours, costs and transfer of live with arrangements following Re A and B (Children: ‘Parental Alienation’) (No. 1-5)
• How does the court deal with alienating behaviour cases - are fact findings required and what about experts? Consideration of AM v RF and The Children G and B
• The Family Justice Council Guidance ‘Guidance on responding to a child’s unexplained reluctance, resistance or refusal to spend time with a parent and allegations of alienating behaviour’ - November 2024

This pre-recorded webinar will be available to view from Monday 3rd March 2025

Alternatively, you can gain access to this webinar and 1,700+ others via the MBL Webinar Subscription. Please email webinarsubscription@mblseminars.com for more details.