Family Law News

A High Court judge has ruled that a gay couple should have custody of a baby girl rather than the surrogate mother.

The woman said they had agreed for her to be the main parent of the child, but the father, who donated sperm, said that the woman had agreed to be a surrogate for him and his partner.

It was deemed that the one-year-old should be removed from the custody of her mother and placed with her father as it was in “the best interests” of the girl.

Mr Justice Russell said: "The pregnancy was contrived with the aim of a same-sex couple having a child to form a family assisted by a friend.

"Therefore [the girl] living with [the two men] and spending time with [the woman] from time to time, fortunately, coincides with the reality of her conception and accords with [the girl's] identity and place within her family."

The charity, Family Lives, has reported that calls to its Parentline regarding the aggressive behaviour of children have increased by 2%, but only 56% of respondents to an online survey had sought help for their child’s problem.