Child arrangements orders
When parents separate, there can often be disagreements as to the live with and spend time with arrangements for their children, where either parent may be looking to the court to formally intervene by way of a child arrangements order. This was previously referred to as child custody, though we now use the term child arrangements.
A child arrangements order may also be sought by someone other than a parent of the child where, with second marriages or children from previous relationships, modern families can be complicated. The court’s intervention may even be required if a child’s parents have passed away or are considered unfit to take care of them. In any one of these scenarios, the court can be asked to put in place enforceable care arrangements by grandparents or other wider family members, the spouse or partner of the child’s parent, or someone with whom the child has lived with for at least 3 years, although permission from the Court to apply may be needed.
Additionally, it is not uncommon in the context of applications for child arrangements orders, for applications to be made for prohibited steps or specific issue orders. A prohibited steps order is one in which the court prohibits any steps which a parent or guardian would ordinarily be permitted to take from being taken without the consent of the court. This could include, for example, an order preventing one parent from changing their child’s surname or school, or from taking them overseas. In contrast, a specific issue order is one that determines a specific question which has arisen in connection with any aspect of parental responsibility for a child, such as whether a child should have medical treatment.
When dealing with live with and spend time with arrangements for a child, or a dispute about any other issue in relation to a child’s upbringing, especially where any safeguarding issues have been raised in relation to that child, it is strongly advised to have an experienced family solicitor to help navigate the potential pitfalls and advise on how best to proceed
What we do for our clients
At Farnworth Rose Solicitors we have extensive experience in helping clients apply to the court for child arrangements orders, or to respond to applications made for this type of order, and in supporting our clients throughout this difficult and stressful process. Our specialist family solicitors are also able to deal with any additional issues and applications relating to a child’s upbringing, including prohibited steps or specific issue orders.
We work together with our clients, exploring all available options, including any scope for reaching an agreement without recourse to the courts, and are able to risk assess the merits of bringing or defending an application for residence, contact or any other issue in the context of the child’s welfare. In particular, we can advise on how the court is likely to assess the best interests of the child, having regard to all the circumstances involved.
Our team of family solicitors have helped hundreds of parents, guardians and other applicants to seek or defend orders as to with whom a child should reside, and when and where any contact will take place with the non-resident parent or other family members.
How we can help you
If you are looking to apply for a court order to make formal arrangements for a child, as well as to resolve any dispute about their upbringing, we can advise and guide you through this process. Equally, if an application has been made for a child arrangements order, or other type of order relating to a child for whom you have parental responsibility or otherwise resides with you, we can advise you on how best to respond.
To find out more about how we could help you, please get in touch with our expert family team. We will be happy to respond to any enquiries and provide you with a quote.
How you can contact us
For expert advice and assistance on applying for or defending applications for child arrangements orders, call Farnworth Rose today on 01282 695400 or complete the form below.
