ARRANGEMENTS FOR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S LAW

Our child law solicitors are members of Resolution, a group of over 6,500 Solicitors who follow a strict code of practice and aim to resolve family law matters in a non-confrontational manner. 

 If you and your ex-spouse disagree about arrangements for your children, for example, with whom they should live with and when the other parent should have access, we will engage in alternative dispute resolution methods such as round table negotiation and mediation to resolve the dispute. 

If the matter must go to court, we will carefully advise you and help co-ordinate evidence and reports to support your case.

We have a specialist team of child law Solicitors who can advise and represent you on all legal matters concerning children, including:

• Arrangements for children following a decision to          divorce
• Varying Child Arrangement Orders
• Parental responsibility applications
• Prohibited Steps Orders and Specific Steps Orders
• Child abduction
• Internal and international relocation

The Children Act 1989, section 1 states that when the Court is making a decision concerning the upbringing of a child or the administration of a child’s property or income derived from property they own, “the child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration”

This principle is important to understand because when it comes to applying to the court for an order or decision relating to a child, the judge will put the child’s interests ahead of yours. For example, if you are a grandparent who is being denied access to your grandchildren following the parent’s divorce, upon applying for permission to seek a Contact Order, the court will be concerned with the impact of lack of contact from the child’s perspective rather than yours. 

Because our child law Solicitors are highly experienced, we can strategically present your case, putting the child’s interest in alignment with yours and persuasively argue for a decision in your favour.

There are several different types of Court Orders relating to children’s law. They are:

• Prohibited Steps Order – where a person with parental responsibility is prohibited from doing something specified in the order unless the court grants consent. For example, a parent may not apply for a passport for their child without seeking the consent of the court beforehand.
  

• Specific Issue Order – an Order sought from the court regarding a specific question or issue, for example, can a child relocate to another part of the country with one of their parents and his or her new partner.

• Child Arrangement Order - means an order regulating arrangements relating to any of the following:-

(a) with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and

(b) when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person (usually the other parent, however, this also covers grandparents and others with a relationship to the child).

All the above orders are sometimes referred to as a Section 8 Order, as they are made pursuant to section 8 of the Children Act 1989.

For a free consultation regarding child arrangements and child law

please call us on 0208 300 6666 or complete the form below.