District Judge Parker's judgment of 28 August 2026 sets out the history of a father's child arrangements application for three children, including earlier findings against both parents and the issues listed for a second finding of fact.
Key facts
- Who: Parents and children in private law child arrangements cases where findings of domestic abuse and alienating behaviour have been made
- From: 28 August 2026 (judgment date)
- Source: K v B & Ors [2026] EWFC 299 (B)
Background
The Family Court at Birmingham, before District Judge Parker, gave this judgment on 28 August 2026 in case number BM24P00074. The children are referred to as A, IS and I, aged 6, 8 and 9. The judgment was delivered in private and published on condition that the anonymity of the children and their family is strictly preserved.
K, the father, applied for a child arrangements order. He has had little or no meaningful contact with the children since July 2023, when the parents separated after a brief reconciliation.
At a fact-finding hearing, with judgment dated 5 June 2025 ([2025] EWFC 294B), the judge made findings against the mother, B:
- She presented false evidence, including fabricated text messages.
- She conspired with her sisters to embellish and falsify evidence.
- She showed alienating behaviours.
- She did not do enough to promote contact and put obstacles in its way, causing the children emotional harm.
The judge also made findings of domestic abuse against the father but decided they were not a barrier to direct contact.
What happened next
An order of 9 September 2025 provided for weekly supervised contact in the community. The father withdrew his application to commit the mother to prison.
Contact was suspended by order of 18 November 2025 after IS and A made disclosures about the father's cousin and the paternal grandmother. A police investigation ended with no further action. The father denies the allegations and says they are further alienating behaviour and a false narrative. The paternal grandmother and the cousin also deny them, and both were made intervenors.
The questions for the court
The matter was listed for a three-day composite hearing, on the basis that it was one of those unique cases needing a second finding of fact. The issues identified were:
- whether the allegations of IS and A were true or the result of the mother coaching the children to make false allegations; and
- depending on that outcome, what the family time arrangements should be, including whether the local authority needed to seek formal orders.
The local authority's team manager was directed to attend the final hearing. Depending on the findings, the authority might need to consider its position on future safeguarding measures.
The judge had the following evidence:
- reports from the Children's Guardian
- statements from a Strengthening Families practitioner
- a GP report
- child in need meeting minutes
- police disclosure
It was agreed that none of the children would be required to give evidence.
What this means for families in similar cases
The judgment shows how a private law case can move through more than one fact-finding exercise. Here, contact was suspended and other family members were joined as intervenors, while a child in need plan continued alongside the court process. Anyone involved in a dispute like this should get legal advice before any court deadline passes.
Sources
- K v B & Ors [2026] EWFC 299 (B), Family Court at Birmingham, 28 August 2026