Adjusting to not living with your child full time is among the hardest parts of any separation, and putting arrangements in place for your child can be a source of considerable tension. Parents often look for a ‘solicitor for child custody’ at the point where they cannot agree on where a child should live or how often each parent should see them. The word ‘custody’ is no longer used in the law of England and Wales, which now deals with these matters through child arrangements orders, but the issues to be resolved remain the same. This article explains when it helps to take advice, what working with us involves, and the situations we are most often asked to deal with.
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“I cannot fault my experience with Johnson Astills Solicitors. Throughout this difficult time I was made to feel secure, supported and validated – money can’t actually buy these things.”
When Should You Contact A Solicitor For Child Custody?
It is usually better to take specialist advice early rather than wait for a disagreement to arise. Many parents contact us when they are first separating and want to put sensible arrangements in place, while others come to us later, when an informal arrangement has stopped working or one parent has changed their position. Early advice can prevent a manageable disagreement from becoming a dispute, and it gives you a clear understanding of where you stand before you make decisions you cannot easily undo.
What Can You Expect When You First Instruct Us?
At a first meeting, we will listen to what has happened, ask about your children and the current arrangements, and explain how the law approaches situations like yours. We will give you a realistic view of your options and the likely outcomes, and we will agree on a way forward that fits your circumstances, whether that means helping you reach agreement with the other parent, supporting you through mediation, or preparing a court application. We will also be clear from the outset about how we work and what it is likely to cost, so that you can make informed choices.
What Situations Does A Solicitor For Child Custody Commonly Deal With?
A solicitor for child custody deals with a wide range of situations. Some parents need help agreeing the basic pattern of where a child lives and when they see each parent. Others are dealing with a specific problem, such as one parent stopping or limiting contact, a disagreement about holidays or schooling, or a proposal by one parent to move away with the child. We also advise parents who already have an arrangement in place but find that it no longer suits the children as they grow older. Whatever the situation, our primary focus is on finding a practical solution that works for the children, whose welfare is the most important consideration in every case.
What If One Parent Wants To Move Away With The Children?
Relocation is one of the more difficult issues that can arise. Where a parent wishes to move a significant distance within England and Wales and the other parent objects, the disagreement can be put before the court, which will decide what is in the child’s best interests. The position is stricter where a parent wants to move abroad with a child on a permanent basis. In that situation, the parent generally needs either the consent of everyone with parental responsibility for the child or the permission of the court, and taking a child to live abroad without that consent or permission can have serious legal consequences. If you are facing a possible move, in either direction, it is important to take advice early to ensure that your position and the child’s welfare are protected.
How Do We Resolve Matters Without Going To Court?
Most arrangements for children are settled without a contested hearing, and that is almost always the better path for the family. We can help you negotiate directly with the other parent or support you through family mediation, where a trained mediator helps both parents work towards agreement. Before most court applications can be made, you are in any event usually expected to attend a meeting to learn about mediation first, unless an exemption applies.
How Can Johnson Astills Help?
The family team at Johnson Astills advises parents across England and Wales on every aspect of arranging care for their children, from agreeing arrangements after a separation to dealing with relocation, changes over time, and enforcement where an order is not being followed. We work to resolve matters constructively wherever we can, and we represent our clients firmly in court when that becomes necessary, always with the welfare of the children at the centre.
Please call us free now on 0800 059 0600 or complete a Free Online Enquiry and a member of the team will get back to you soon.
‘Having had experience of your organisation, my confidence in you grew. I would have no hesitation in asking you for any necessary representation in the future. Relatives and friends have already been told of my satisfaction. Thank you and well done’
