The Father v The Mother & Anor

Facts

The case concerned A, a boy now aged 15 years and 5 months, and was the second set of proceedings about him. The first set began in July 2024, when the father applied for a child arrangements order to define his time with A and with A's older sister, B. On 1 May 2025 the Lay Justices made no order about B because of her age. For A, they made a live with order in favour of the mother and a spend time order giving the father at least six hours a month. On the father's appeal, His Honour Judge Reece set aside the decision about A on 29 August 2025 and sent the matter back for a final hearing. At that hearing, District Judge Anthony accepted the family court adviser's recommendations and ordered that A should live with both parents. By a final order of 16 December 2025, the judge set up a stepped arrangement of alternating weekends in term time, shared holidays and mid-week contact. The mother's applications to vary that order, to stay it and for permission to appeal were refused. In March 2026 the father applied to enforce the order. A was then joined as a party and a rule 16.4 guardian was appointed. In July 2026 the mother made an oral application to vary the order. Shortly before the final hearing, the father, who now represented himself, applied to withdraw his enforcement application but still opposed the mother's application.