Residence and Contact

Private Law disputes over children often relate to contact and residence

Do you want more contact with your children? Do you want to control how much your children see their other parent? Should your children be living with you rather than where they are currently living? What would happen if the other parent wanted to leave the country with your children? Are you a grandparent who is having difficulty in seeing your grandchildren? Or are you caring for a grandchild or stepchild and need to formalise your duties and responsibilities for that child?

We can help you to deal with all of these often difficult and stressful issues, giving advice and assistance to achieve the best outcome for both you and the child.

Parental Responsibility

Parental Responsibility is a legal term used to describe all of the duties, responsibilities and rights that a person has in respect of a child. In some circumstances, decisions about a child's life, for example, whether their name can be changed, what school they attend, who may obtain a passport for the child, can only be made by a person and/or all persons with Parental Responsibility for that child.

Mothers always automatically have Parental Responsibility for their children. However, the same is not true for fathers, step-parents, grandparents etc.

We can offer advice on whether or not you have Parental Responsibility for a child and how you may be able to gain Parental Responsibility, either by Court Order or by agreement.

Child Abduction

This is a parent's worst nightmare, but, sadly children are often taken, by parents or relatives, without permission or warning.

We have experience of dealing with cases of children who have been taken to locations both within the UK and overseas. We can deal with cases where it is necessary to invoke the Hague Convention to seek the return of the child and can also assist parents who have brought children to this country while the other parent seeks to have them returned to the country of origin. In these matters prompt advice and expert assistance is availiable.

Mediation

Court proceedings can be very costly, can make bad relationships worse and can leave you feeling powerless to control your future and the future of your children.

We can refer you to quality assured mediation services and can offer advice and assistance throughout the mediation process. If an agreement is reached through mediation we can offer security by formalising the agreement by Court Order.