Event and Time
Event Description
- Proceedings initiated by the applicant father concerning parenting arrangements for two children: X (born in 2006) and Y (born in 2008).
- Final parenting hearing scheduled on February 23, 2023, which was deemed undefended due to the father's absence.
Application and Claims
- The mother, who has been the respondent in the case, seeks sole parental responsibility for the children.
- The applicant father is absent and did not attend the hearing, resulting in an undefended hearing.
Judicial Decisions
- The Court grants leave for the applicant father’s solicitor to withdraw from the proceedings.
- Children X and Y shall live with their mother, who is granted sole parental responsibility.
- The father is prohibited from contacting the children except at their request.
- The father is restrained from removing the children from school and from attending the mother’s residence.
- The Independent Children's Lawyer (ICL) is discharged from involvement in this matter.
- Written reasons for the orders will be reserved by the Court.
Dispute Points and Legal Basis
Dispute Points
- Father's Claims:
- The father initiated the proceedings and presumably sought contact with his children and shared parental responsibility.
- Mother's Claims:
- The mother argued for sole parental responsibility, likely citing reasons for the children's best interests and the father's absence as a basis for her claims.
- Evidence Presented:
- The absence of the father at the hearing is a determining factor. - No evidence was presented by the father, as he was not present to defend his claims.