Lisa Phillips and Tonicha Allen appear in the Family Division of the High Court as a local authority seeks to change the name of boy.
Park Square BarristersLisa Phillips and Tonicha Allen appeared in the High Court before the Honourable Mr Justice Cobb in an application by a Local Authority for leave of the court to change a child’s forename.
Tonicha represented the Local Authority who brought the application which was supported by the child’s father. Lisa represented the Children’s Guardian who was in also support of the application. The child’s mother opposed the application and wanted the name she chose for her child to remain.
The court were not persuaded by the Local Authority argument that a boy child would be likely to suffer significant harm as a result of bullying or teasing due to being known by a name usually given to a girl. The court was however persuaded that the specific care arrangements for the child were capable of causing significant harm, as successfully argued by Lisa Phillips. The plan was for the child to be placed with paternal family members who were against the retention of the child’s given name. The court was persuaded that there was a likelihood of significant harm owing to the paternal families rejection of the child’s name and therefore potential feelings of rejection and confusion if his name was changed later in life.
Link to the case is http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Fam/2023/2813.html
For media coverage of the case click here – BBC News
For more information about Lisa Phillips and Tonicha Allen please contact one of our family clerks:
Claudine Cooper on 0113 202 8604
Arnela Siranovic on 0113 213 5212