Contact orders in adoption

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
Published by a LexisNexis Family expert
Practice notes

Contact orders in adoption

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

Practice notes
imgtext

This Practice Note sets out the general principles to be applied in relation to contact orders, both prior to and following adoption. It also details who may apply for a contact order in adoption proceedings, together with the procedure to be applied and provides guidance on the duration, variation and suspension of contact orders in adoption, as well as discharge considerations.

Planning for adoption and contact

The issue of contact must be addressed in the social worker’s permanence report and also by the agency decision-maker. In the rare cases where the adoption panel considers whether children should be placed for adoption, and in all cases concerning matches between children and prospective adopters, the panel must address contact issues. There is no presumption for or against contact once the adoption agency is authorised to place the child for adoption.

Adoption and contact—principles

Prior to the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (ACA 2002), the clean break principle often held sway in social work thinking and court decisions, and the ability of the natural family to support the placement and not undermine

Powered by Lexis+®
Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
Related legal acts:
Key definition:
Adoption definition
What does Adoption mean?

The process whereby a person assumes the parenting of a child and in so doing permanently has transferred to them all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents.

Read more readmore

Popular documents

Can an adult apply to revoke an adoption order that was made during their minority?

Can an adult apply to revoke an adoption order that was made during their minority?The adoption of a child severs all the child’s legal ties with their birth family and establishes a new legal relationship with the child’s adoptive family. The law does allow for applications to revoke an adoption

Public children—emergency protection orders

Public children—emergency protection ordersThis Practice Note sets out the circumstances in which an emergency protection order (EPO) is appropriate, together with the required grounds for granting an EPO, jurisdiction, procedure and the duration and effect of an EPO. It also deals with issues such

Public Law Working Group report—templates and checklists

Public Law Working Group report—templates and checklistsThis Practice Note provides information about the ‘Recommendations to achieve best practice in the child protection and family justice systems’ report (the PLWG report) prepared by the Public Law Working Group (PLWG) and endorsed by the

Public children—threshold criteria

Public children—threshold criteriaThis Practice Note details the threshold criteria as set out in section 31(2) of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989) and the public children law applications to which it applies. It sets out the definition of the threshold criteria as provided for in ChA 1989 and the