After the divorce or judicial separation, parents need to decide:

• Which parent will raise the children?
• How much time can the other parent spend with the children?
• How to financially support the children?

You can settle child arrangement decisions with the other parent, without going to court. You can also use an independent mediator to reach an agreement with the other parent. When informal agreement and out of court mediation does not work, you may apply for a child arrangement order in a family court.

The court can deal with child maintenance issues at the same time or separately.

Who Can Apply?

The child’s mother, father or anyone with parental responsibility can apply for a court order.

Parental Responsibility

Legal rights and responsibilities as a parent is known as ‘parental responsibility’. A mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child from birth.

Who has parental responsibility?

A father usually has parental responsibility if he’s either:

• married to the child’s mother
• listed on the birth certificate (after a certain date, depending on which part of the UK the child was born in)

Having parental responsibility does not mean that you are legally allowed to spend time with your children after separation. It only indicates that the custodial parent needs to receive your permission before making important decisions concerning the children. These include changing schools, moving abroad, and other essential matters.

If you cannot mutually agree upon the division of assets, you may seek legal consultation.
Your options include:

• Mediation
• Solicitor Negotiation
• Arbitration
• Court order

In financial disputes, going to the Court is considered the last resort. Here the Judge helps you arrange a settlement. If you still have trouble agreeing to a deal, a Judge will decide how your matrimonial assets will be divided, and then a Financial Court Order will be made.

We offer comprehensive family law services in all family matters.

Family Care Solicitors have years of experience in representing families concerning child arrangements. We will be able to give you impartial advice about where a child should live, visiting arrangements and communication between parents. One of our specialists will tell you where you stand and help you to work out your options.

If you reach an agreement with the other parent:

Our expert family law solicitors can draft a ‘consent order’ to outline what has agreed between the parents. To make a consent order legally binding, we can send an application to the court so the consent order can be approved by a family judge.

If you do not reach an agreement:

If mediation fails and parents to do not reach an agreement, one can apply to the court for a child arrangement order. We will represent you in court and guide you at every step we take. We can also represent you in court if the other party fails to comply with the court order already in place.

Our lawyers can represent you during informal agreements, mediation, and court proceedings. During complicated family disputes and disagreements, we can apply for a court order. These orders and applications vary, depending on individual circumstances and issues.

Specific Issue Order

This is an order you apply to a family court to receive legal advice on a specific question concerning how the child is being raised.
For example:

• Which school should they go to?
• Should they receive religious education?

We can help you apply for a ‘prohibited steps order’ to stop the other parent from deciding against your wishes.

Rest assured, we strive to ensure focus on your best interests and the child’s welfare throughout the proceedings.

We take great pride in providing affordable family law services. You may be eligible for legal aid. We do not offer legal aid, but we can advise you if you qualify for it. We can discuss the estimate fees and financial options during the initial meeting.

If you need legal expertise on any aspect of child arrangement and maintenance, contact our experienced family law solicitors.

Call today to schedule your first appointment.

1. Assess your Circumstances

We like to hear the facts of your matter and we will answer all your questions.

2. Discuss Options

We consider the best available options based on your individual circumstances and discuss further steps that need to be taken.

3. Timeline and Costs

Once we have a clear idea of how we plan to proceed, we will give an estimated cost and timeline for your case. Contact us to book your initial consultation.