Last year we were instructed by Gabriel* (not his real name). Gabriel became a father following a brief relationship with the mother. When his son was born, he was removed from the care of his mother by a court order applied for by the local authority.
Gabriel wanted to ensure he was present in his son’s life and instructed National Legal Service specialist care team to represent him during care proceedings.
The hearing was a matter of days away when we met Gabriel and the team worked over the weekend to ensure they were ready for court on Monday morning and to support Gabriel for the day and the long process ahead.
Gabriel had family both in England and abroad, the family underwent rigorous assessments over several months to evaluate their suitability to care for the child.
Against all the odds, Gabriel and his family were able to satisfy the court that the child would be safe and well cared for in their care.
With support from the Local Authority, Gabriel and his family were moved to a bigger home in order to accommodate them all, the court approved the plan for the child to live with Gabriel and that regular contact with the mother could be established and managed between the two parents.
Gabriel and his son are now living happily with their family in their new home where they’ve been since shortly before the conclusion of the proceedings.
