Aristide Hoang Brown acted pro bono for a mother whose abusive ex-husband applied to spend time with their vulnerable child who has additional health needs. The case was referred to Aristide by Advocate.
At an earlier fact-finding hearing, the father had been found to have perpetrated domestic abuse against the mother.
Court proceedings
The proceedings were long-running and Aristide represented the mother at a final hearing.
At the final hearing, Aristide made numerous oral applications on behalf of the mother. These included an application for a specific issue order to permit the mother to make all decisions about her child's health, education and travel documentation without needing to consult with or seek the consent of the father. This followed a similar approach taken by the court in Re A (Parental Responsibility) [2023] EWCA Civ 689 and Re C (A Child) (No contact) [2024] EWFC 366 (B).
Judgment
The court granted the application for a Specific Issue Order in the terms sought by the mother (eventually by consent) and made no order for direct contact between the father and the child.