Our Lawyer’s  have considerable experience dealing with issues relating to children including complex residence and contact disputes, acting for parents and grandparents.

We adopt a non-confrontational and constrictive approach. Our work involves working with families at what can be an extremely emotive and stressful time of their lives. We concentrate on providing independent advice which placing the wellbeing of any child involved at the forefront, considering what is best for them now and in the future.

Children Act proceedings may involve the appointment of a CAFCASS officer to prepare a report about the children involved, the appropriateness of contact or shared care orders. We speak to clients in the lead up to any discussion with Cafcass to assist them feel fully prepared and able to speak openly about very personal matters with the Cafcass officer.

Shared Care is becoming increasingly common and we have assisted many clients settle the terms of a parenting agreement, to deal with all aspects of the children’s young lives, to include how many nights they spend in each home, alternating special days such as Christmas and birthdays, the amount of time the children will spend with each parent during holidays and what details the parents share before any trip abroad.

We regularly agree fixed fees for settling and preparing parenting agreements, starting from £900.00 plus vat.

Sadly there are too many cases where domestic violence or parental alienation is involved.  Children do not just witness such behavior. By seeing and hearing it, they too become the victims.  We are experienced in dealing with such matters and making urgent applications under the Children Act to ensure the wellbeing of children. This may involve suspending contact between a child and parent, arranging supervised or supported contact or regulating the level of contact, where necessary.  Such proceedings often run alongside obtaining orders to remove an offending from the family home and protective injunctions (referred to as non molestation orders.)

Moving abroad – On account of parents moving abroad to be with family or work commitments, it may be necessary to make an application to remove the children from the jurisdiction of England and Wales.  We have represented parents on both sides of such applications. Due to the amount of work involved in such cases and the variation n the number of hearing required, we are unable to offer a fixed fee for the whole process but will consider fixed fees for each stage of the work, for example up to the first hearing or for preparing detailed statements.

For enquiries about Children related matters, call us on  01249 783607