How will the court decide whether to give me leave?

The purpose of leave is to act as a filter to protect the child and the family from applications that are not likely to succeed and are nothing more than an interference with the family. In deciding whether or not to grant leave, the court will consider:

• the nature of the application;
• the applicant's connection with the child; and
• the risk that the application poses of disrupting the child's life and causing harm.

The closer the connection of the person seeking leave, the more likely an application will succeed.

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