Re A (Children) (Shared Residence): CA 2002

There were three children, a boy and two girls. The girls lived with their mother and the boy lived with his father. The boy was unwilling to see his mother, and was not doing so. The father appealed a shared residence order in her favour.
Held: Hale LJ said: ‘the law is that the parents already have shared parental responsibility for their children. They have equal and independent power to exercise that parental responsibility. A residence order is about where a child is to live. It is very difficult to make such an order about a child who is not only not living with one of the parents but is, for the foreseeable future, unlikely even to visit with that parent. Notwithstanding, therefore, that that parent does not wish there to be any distinction between the children, because she does not wish M to feel rejected by her, the court’s order has to be designed to reflect the real position on the ground.’

Judges:

Hale LJ

Citations:

[2002] 1 FCR 177

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

CitedA Father (Mr A) v A Mother (Mrs A); Their Two Children (B And C) FD 4-Feb-2004
After a divorce, the father sought a joint residence order for the two young children. The mother alleged sexually inappropriate behaviour by the father. The court found this allegation clearly untrue. The dispute was bitter and protracted. . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Children

Updated: 09 May 2022; Ref: scu.195885