The Adoption of Harriet (a pseudonym)

In the Family Court, the guardians of a child, Harriet, sought an adoption order for her. The application was made on the basis that the child had been in their care since she was an infant and they believed that it was in her best interests for the adoption to proceed. The child's biological parents opposed the application on the basis that they wished to retain contact with her. The court was required to determine whether an adoption order should be made and, if so, whether the child's name should be changed as part of the order.

The court found that an adoption order was in Harriet’s best interests and that it was clearly preferable to the alternative of remaining in the guardianship arrangement. The court considered a range of factors, including the views of the child, the wishes of the biological parents, the stability and quality of the relationship between Harriet and her guardians, and the potential for the child to maintain a relationship with her biological parents. The court found that Harriet’s welfare would be best served by the adoption order, and that the potential for contact with her biological parents did not outweigh the benefits of the adoption.

The court also found that the change of name was in Harriet’s best interests, given that she had spent almost her entire life with her guardians and that a name change would reflect her new status and the permanence of the relationship with her guardians. The court emphasised that the change of name was not intended to sever ties with her biological parents but rather to reflect the reality of her life and the new family unit that had formed. The court approved the change of name as part of the adoption order.

The court made an adoption order in favour of the guardians and approved the change of Harriet’s name. The biological parents were granted contact with the child on a supervised basis.