Ms Mary Farrell:

I cannot speak for individual families but I know that people have gone about taking their children out of wardship on discovering that they are capable of managing their own affairs but found that going through that process in the courts can be quite onerous and expensive. Furthermore, not all solicitors are well informed in this area. It is a niche area, so to speak and the process is very difficult. As for us doing anything about this in the legal arena, it just would not be feasible. We could not afford it. There is no way of doing this legally; no way of sorting any of this out.