You can choose how to make arrangements for looking after your children if you separate from your partner.
What you can do is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
You and your ex-partner can usually avoid going to court hearings if you agree on:
- where the children will live
- how much time they’ll spend with each parent
- how you’ll financially support your children
You can use a solicitor if you want to make your agreement legally binding.
You can agree on child maintenance at the same time or separately.
Get help agreeing
You can make a Parenting Plan with your ex-partner or use a mediator.
If you cannot agree on everything
You can ask a court to decide anything you cannot agree after mediation or getting other help.
You must show you’ve attended a meeting to see if mediation is right for you before applying to a court. You will not have to in certain cases, for example if there’s been domestic abuse or social services are involved.
You will not usually get legal aid to help with court costs unless you’re separating from an abusive partner.
How we can help
Child arrangement orders is what we do day in and day out. We have extensive experience of preparing successful Child arrangement orders. By partnering with LAWTEC Solicitors, you can be assured that your Child arrangement order application process will be managed in a professional and cost-effective manner.
Many of our clients are happy to relieve themselves of the frustrations of preparing paperwork and having to deal with government red-tape by hiring our professional team of family law experts.
We are proud of the fact that our team of highly experienced lawyers and multi-lingual specialists really do enjoy nothing more than winning child cases for our clients.