Three members of Chambers successfully acted in the recently published case of A v B & Ors (Wardship; Parental Order; s10(9) Leave Application) [2023] EWHC 1680 (Fam). Deirdre Fottrell KC and Tom Wilson, instructed by Farrer & Co., acted for the father.

Sharon Segal, instructed by Goodman Ray, acted for the Surrogate and her husband.

The case concerned various applications made in respect of a child conceived by the father, as a single parent, through a surrogacy arrangement. The mother of the father’s older child sought to obtain orders enabling her to assert a parental role in relation to the younger child. The father and surrogate successfully opposed the applications. Theis J granted the applicant permission to withdraw her application for a parental order on the basis that it lacked merit and legal foundation. Theis J also permitted the applicant to withdraw her wardship application and refused her permission to apply for a child arrangements order.