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."
Family Law News
The Law Society has given its support to proposals made by the Family Justice Review to improve the current family justice system.
The Hague Special Commission has met to review the practical operation of two important child protection Conventions which protect the safety and welfare of children all over the world.
Children are the most important people in the Family Justice system and their voice needs to be heard in proposed reforms to Family Justice, says an independent panel set up to review how it could be reformed.
Home Office Minister James Brokenshire has announced that from 1st July 2011 the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre will use its expertise in protecting vulnerable children to take the lead in missing children's services across the UK.
Recent figures released by the Child Support Agency (CSA) show that the Agency gave a stable performance in the final quarter of the last financial year.
The family justice system needs significant reform to tackle delays and ensure that children and families get the service they deserve, says an independent panel set up to review how the system works.
The Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission (CMEC) has announced that Noel Shanahan has been appointed as Commissioner and Chief Executive to replace Stephen Geraghty.
Government proposals to cut legal aid risk creating devastating consequences for families and children, said family law association Resolution, as the coalition government consultation on legal aid reform closes.
Recent figures released by the Child Support Agency (CSA) show continuing improvement in its overall performance levels.
Around 140,000 children across the UK are being raised by grandparents and other family and friends due to parental alcohol or substance misuse, according to a new survey released by Grandparents Plus. The charity is joining forces with The Children's Society, Adfam and Mentor UK to highlight the plight of carers raising children under challenging circumstances – who are saving the taxpayer an estimated £5.5 billion a year in care costs.