Kafka & Anor and Fife

In the matter of Kafka & Anor and Fife, heard before Cleary J, the dispute concerned the parental responsibility and living arrangements for three children, B, C, and D. The orders indicate a significant disagreement between the parents and the paternal grandmother regarding the children's welfare and contact.

The court was required to determine the appropriate orders for parental responsibility, the children's residence, and the extent of contact, if any, between the children and their father and paternal grandmother. A key issue was whether to grant an injunction to prevent the father and paternal grandmother from seeking information about the children's whereabouts and personal details.

Cleary J ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for the children and that they live with her. Crucially, the court also ordered that the father and paternal grandmother have no contact with the children, either by spending time with them or communicating with them. Furthermore, an injunction was granted to restrain the father and paternal grandparents from making enquiries that could reveal the children's address, or any information that would enable them to identify the children's residence, medical practice, or educational establishment. The Independent Children’s Lawyer was discharged.