Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BOOK REVIEW
ADOPTION LAW: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
2nd edition
By Nasreen Pearce
ISBN: 978 0 85490 308 5
WILDY, SIMMONDS & HILL PUBLISHING
wildy.com
AN UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CURRENT ADOPTION LAW FOR 2020s
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers
and Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”
For law students and practitioners alike, there has been concern in recent years that some fundamental reform of the law of adoption is urgently needed. We welcome the new, second edition of “Adoption Law: A Practical Guide” by Nasreen Pearce from Wildy, Simmonds and Hill Publishing for 2025.
The title arrives at an interesting time for the modern development of adoption as the strains on the system continue to show. Wildy have provided us again with another excellent book in their practical guide series of titles. We thank Nasreen Pearce for her wise counsel in offering a comprehensive guide to the law, practice, and procedure for lawyers, adoption agencies, support services and other professional bodies who are concerned with adoption for a wide readership. It can make all the difference to the advice we give clients.
For practitioners new to the work, the author covers each stage of the adoption process, including what are difficult issues of contact between the child and their birth parents. It includes the alternative options available by reference to the relevant case law and regulations in relation to domestic adoptions as well as adoptions involving overseas jurisdictions.
The title considers registration of adoption and the sensitive issue of disclosure of information which are explaining in straightforward terms to both knowledgeable readers and those new to this subject. Pearce explains the rights of those parties to challenge decisions made by the professional bodies involved in the process so do use the detailed index at the back for any specific areas you are interested in exploring further.
Nasreen Pearce in updating the second edition has included important developments in this principal area of family law for those wishing to adopt. The book looks at the impact of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on all aspects of the law relating to adoption.
As we expect with all Wildy guides, recent case law has been included in areas such as the notification to fathers and the child’s birth families of any plans to place a child for adoption. We are grateful for the inclusion of the procedure relating to preparation before proceedings begin, and the procedure for applications in the Family Court and, where relevant, the High Court.
The book also includes case law citations in relation to placement orders. It covers leave to revoke a placement order and to oppose adoption and post-placement arrangements for contact. The text sets out new coverage of post-placement contact, and post-adoption contact details to update advisers. The commentary covers recent reports and research plus the important decision in R & C (Adoption or Fostering) [2024].
We also found the inclusion of two recent lectures by the President of the Family Division on the modern approach to adoption and open adoption to be of great additional assistance.
The second edition of this hardback book from Wildy was published in 2025.
BOOK REVIEW
ADOPTION LAW: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
2nd edition
By Nasreen Pearce
ISBN: 978 0 85490 308 5
WILDY, SIMMONDS & HILL PUBLISHING
wildy.com
AN UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CURRENT ADOPTION LAW FOR 2020s
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers
and Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”
For law students and practitioners alike, there has been concern in recent years that some fundamental reform of the law of adoption is urgently needed. We welcome the new, second edition of “Adoption Law: A Practical Guide” by Nasreen Pearce from Wildy, Simmonds and Hill Publishing for 2025.
The title arrives at an interesting time for the modern development of adoption as the strains on the system continue to show. Wildy have provided us again with another excellent book in their practical guide series of titles. We thank Nasreen Pearce for her wise counsel in offering a comprehensive guide to the law, practice, and procedure for lawyers, adoption agencies, support services and other professional bodies who are concerned with adoption for a wide readership. It can make all the difference to the advice we give clients.
For practitioners new to the work, the author covers each stage of the adoption process, including what are difficult issues of contact between the child and their birth parents. It includes the alternative options available by reference to the relevant case law and regulations in relation to domestic adoptions as well as adoptions involving overseas jurisdictions.
The title considers registration of adoption and the sensitive issue of disclosure of information which are explaining in straightforward terms to both knowledgeable readers and those new to this subject. Pearce explains the rights of those parties to challenge decisions made by the professional bodies involved in the process so do use the detailed index at the back for any specific areas you are interested in exploring further.
Nasreen Pearce in updating the second edition has included important developments in this principal area of family law for those wishing to adopt. The book looks at the impact of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on all aspects of the law relating to adoption.
As we expect with all Wildy guides, recent case law has been included in areas such as the notification to fathers and the child’s birth families of any plans to place a child for adoption. We are grateful for the inclusion of the procedure relating to preparation before proceedings begin, and the procedure for applications in the Family Court and, where relevant, the High Court.
The book also includes case law citations in relation to placement orders. It covers leave to revoke a placement order and to oppose adoption and post-placement arrangements for contact. The text sets out new coverage of post-placement contact, and post-adoption contact details to update advisers. The commentary covers recent reports and research plus the important decision in R & C (Adoption or Fostering) [2024].
We also found the inclusion of two recent lectures by the President of the Family Division on the modern approach to adoption and open adoption to be of great additional assistance.
The second edition of this hardback book from Wildy was published in 2025.
