Child Law Solicitors

Our child law expertise

We deal with a full range of child law services, including:

• Child arrangement orders, formerly referred to as residence and contact orders
• Parental responsibility
• Adoption and surrogacy
• Specific issue orders
• Prohibited steps orders

Our child law advice and services

Child arrangement orders

Ideally, you and your child’s other parent will be able to agree on the new arrangements for your child following your separation.

Negotiation and mediation

If you are not able to agree on new arrangements, we can represent you in negotiations with the solicitor for your child’s other parent. We will discuss the possible options with you and work to identify the best agreement for you and your children. We are strong negotiators and will do all we can to agree on acceptable arrangements for your family.

An alternative option to reaching an agreement is through mediation. We will arrange for you to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting, or MIAM. This is a meeting with a neutral mediator who will explain how mediation works and how it could help you find a way forward. You can meet with the mediator together with your child’s other parent or separately if you prefer.

If you decide to proceed with mediation, the mediator will work with you and your child’s other parent to try to reach an agreement in respect of child arrangements. We will support you throughout and help you ensure that your point of view is heard.

Child arrangements orders

If mediation is not successful or you decide not to go through the mediation process, we can make an application to the court for a child arrangements order. We will put forward a robust case on your behalf, and you can expect the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service or Cafcass to be involved. They will contact you as well as your child’s other parent and provide recommendations to the court regarding arrangements for the children. In some cases Cafcass will  prepare detailed reports to help the court reach its decision.

A child arrangements order will generally deal with issues such as:

• Who a child will live with
• When the child will see their other parent
• Where this will take place
• What will happen in school holidays
• How the child will keep in touch with their parents while they are not together

In considering what order to make, the court will always prioritise what it believes to be in the child’s best interests. It will consider the following welfare checklist, as set out in section 1 of the Children Act 1989 when making its decision:

• The child’s own wishes and feelings, in the light of their age and understanding
• The child’s physical, emotional and educational needs
• The likely effect on the child of any changes in their circumstances
• The child’s age, sex, background and any other characteristics that the court feels are relevant
• Any harm that the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering
• How capable each parent is of meeting the child’s needs
• The powers available to the court

Parental responsibility

Parental responsibility refers to the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities a parent has in respect of a child and their property. If you have parental responsibility, you are entitled to be involved in decisions such as:

• Naming your child
• Where your child will live
• Deciding whether your child will have certain medical treatment
• Which school your child will go to
• What religion, if any, your child will follow

Birth mothers automatically have parental responsibility, as do fathers who are married to the mother at the time of the birth or who are named on the birth certificate.

If you do not have parental responsibility, it may be possible to obtain this. An unmarried father can enter into an agreement with the child’s mother to have parental responsibility. Alternatively, the court can be asked to grant this.

Other individuals in the child’s life may also be able to apply for parental responsibility, depending on the circumstances. This includes step-parents, civil partners, same-sex partners, guardians and grandparents.

We can apply to the court for parental responsibility on your behalf and put forward a strong case setting out why this should be granted.

Specific issue orders

If there is a particular decision relating to your child that you and their other parent cannot agree on, we can ask the court to make a specific issue order. Examples of the types of issue that could be dealt with in this way include:

• Where a child will go to school
• Whether a child can go to live overseas
• Whether a child’s name can be changed
• Whether medical treatment can be consented to
• Whether a child can be raised in a particular religion
• Whether a child can see a particular person

Prohibited steps orders

Similarly, the court can also be asked to make an order preventing someone from doing something in respect of a child. This type of order is known as a prohibited steps order.

Examples of issues that might be dealt with in a prohibited steps order include:

• Preventing a parent from taking a child overseas
• Prohibiting removal of a child from school
• Preventing a child’s name from being changed
• Stopping a parent from agreeing to a medical procedure

If you believe that you need a prohibited steps order to prevent your child’s other parent from taking a certain action, we can represent you in making a prompt application to the court.

Why choose our family lawyers for children’s legal advice?

Our family law team is highly experienced in all aspects of child law. We will help you find the best options for your family and do everything we can to make sure you have a strong legal foundation for the future.

You will find our child law solicitors in Hull and York to be friendly and approachable. We know how stressful it can be to deal with a legal case involving your children and its common to feel overwhelmed at this time so we will make sure that you have the support and guidance you need throughout.

Our advice to you will be clear, practical and jargon-free. We are always happy to hear from you, and if you have any questions or concerns, we will take the time to talk with you whenever  needed. We provide a full range of family law services.

Our child law fees

We offer value for money, providing the highest levels of service and advice tailored to your needs. We will let you have a clear estimate of the likely costs at the start of your case as well as regular updates throughout.

If you would like to discuss the potential costs involved, please contact us using the details below and we will be pleased to talk through what you need and the legal fees involved.

Please note that we only deal with private work and do not offer any initial free advice or deal with matters through Legal Aid.

Get in touch with our child law solicitors in York and Hull

To discuss our child law services, please get in touch with our specialist family law solicitors. From our offices in both Hull and York, we support clients in Yorkshire and the surrounding area, as well as nationally and internationally.

Call us in Hull on (0)1482 323239 or in York on (0)1904 625790. Alternatively, you can fill in our contact form and one of our lawyers will get back to you.