Child Arrangements

We offer a personal service, tailor made for your personal circumstances and budget, and can advise on shared custody and all aspects of child arrangements as well as financial orders for the benefit of children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989.

As specialist family lawyers, we understand how difficult it can be when a relationship breaks down. We know the legal process and uncertainty of outcome can cause increased anxiety for you and that this can impact your children. We offer a supportive yet objective view and we are obliged by the family law protocol and the Resolution guidelines to ensure the best interests of the children are considered and matters are dealt with in a non-adversarial way. You remain in control by being able to refer to us for help and advice as much or as little as you wish, throughout the process or at any stage, and as many times as you need to.

Your children are not automatically considered in divorce proceedings and the Courts would much rather parents worked out arrangements together but if this is not possible then a separate application can be made for a Judge to make decisions about what  is in the best interests of the children. Being able to spend time with both parents is considered to be the right of every child. If you can’t agree about the arrangements for the children then at least one of you will need to attend an initial meeting with a mediator before an application is made to court. Mediation can be a very successful way of resolving issues and tends to be faster and less costly than court proceedings. Some mediators are able to involve your children in discussions too as the children’s views can be taken into account by the Courts in making decisions. The older the children are, the more weight will be given to their wishes and feelings.