Child Law Solicitors

When you split up with your partner, whether you were married or not, it’s important to know that you have regular access to your children and remain in their lives. There are a number of different ways you can agree on child contact and having access to your children. You can do this informally with a Parenting Agreement which we can help you to prepare or you can apply for a Child Arrangement Order. In some cases, these can be made by agreement without going to Court, as long as you both agree or if you can’t come to an agreement with your former partner, you can ask the Family Court to decide.

You’ll both have to come to an agreement about who will have custody of your children after you separate. When you can’t reach an agreement, directly or through a Solicitor or Mediation, you can go to Court and ask a Judge to decide for you and the outcome may not be what you want, but it will be enforceable by the Court. That’s why you’re better off reaching agreement with your ex.

When a child is taken without the other parent’s permission, this may be child abduction. Sometimes, children are taken out of the country or not returned after an agreed holiday. The law around child abduction is complicated and quick action is required. If you’ve been accused of child abduction or you are worried that your child will be abducted, or already has been, you should get specialist legal advice and support as soon as possible.

This is where one parent has turned their child against their other parent – it can be done on purpose or unintentionally, but the outcome is still the same. Dealing with this issue as early as possible can help to get a better outcome, so get specialist legal advice quickly.

If you’re not married and you’re the father, you may not have Parental Responsibility. If you don’t, you should get it. But if the Court agrees a Child Arrangement Order for your children to live with you, you will automatically be granted Parental Responsibility. The mother of a child automatically has Parental Responsibility. If you are a father and you were married when the child was born, or your name is on the birth certificate, you will automatically have Parental Responsibility.

There are some situations where you may not have Parental Responsibility and you want it. You could be a father, who’s not married and not named on your child’s birth certificate, or you could be grandparents looking after your grandchildren full time. Our Child Law Solicitors can help you to get Parental Responsibility if you need it so you can continue or start to have input into your children’s or young family member’s lives.

You’ll both need to decide how you will each support your child after separation, and you can do this by agreeing an amount of Child Maintenance. One parent usually pays, and the other person usually receives Child Maintenance, unless you have shared residence. If you can’t reach an agreement, then there’s a formula which is used to work out how much should be paid, and a number of ways to secure payments, which our team can advise you on.

This includes moving within the UK and outside of it. It’s a big decision that affects everyone involved. There can be many reasons why you want to move away with your child such as a new partner, a new job opportunity or returning to be near your family and support network, and we can help you if you’re the one who wants to relocate or if you’re the parent who will be left behind.

If you are going through the adoption process and you need legal representation as a fee-paying client, we can do that for you. You will need to go to Court to get your Adoption Order and we can advise you at every stage of the process.