Child Law and the legislation surrounding The Children’s Act protects a child’s overall wellbeing and safety. The principles put in place are there to ensure a child’s best interests are looked after and that their legal rights are protected. This could be within their existing family unit, whereby a parent or parents play a full part in their lives, or when compulsory intervention within the family life is required to protect the child from harm.

Child Law Solicitors

Tollers children’s law solicitors are able to provide specialist advice across a broad range of child law matters including but not limited to:

Child Arrangement Orders

During the breakdown of a relationship, the parents will be expected to agree on the arrangements regarding their children without the intervention of the Court. In the divorce proceedings, orders concerning the children will not normally be made by the Court, unless the parents cannot agree on the arrangements.

Our child law team has a huge amount of expertise and experience in dealing with all aspects of a child arrangement order both as to arrangements agreed outside of court proceedings and with dealing with contested court proceedings relating to the children. To find out more about child arrangement orders or how our team can help, read more.

Child Support and Maintenance

Known as Child Maintenance or Child Support, parents can make their own arrangements regarding ongoing financial support following a relationship breakdown, which can be put in place with the assistance of an online child maintenance calculator, or assessments can be imposed on a parent by the government’s Child Maintenance Service (CMS), formerly known as the Child Support Agency (CSA).

Whilst it is favourable to come to an amicable agreement on your own, we realise this is not always possible. There are various factors to consider regarding the amount of financial child support a parent should contribute, and you may not be fully aware of your rights or obligations.

Our highly experienced child law solicitors help parents understand their rights regarding all matters concerning child maintenance law and child support disputes. To find out more about Child Maintenance and Support or how our team can help, read more.

Permanent Relocation of a Child Abroad

Understandably, when one parent wishes or needs to remove a child from the jurisdiction of the UK, disagreements about the relocation or where their children should live can arise.

To remove a child abroad permanently requires either the written consent of everyone with Parental Responsibility (PR) or a court order.

Ideally, parents should aim to reach an amicable agreement either between themselves, or with the help of their respective solicitors, or through a mediator. However, if this is not possible, an application to the court, for “leave to remove a child from the jurisdiction”, could be the only solution.

The area of law regarding the international relocation of children is complex and can understandably be emotional and highly stressful for all involved. Our specialist child law solicitors can provide expert advice and guidance in all matters concerning the relocation of children abroad and relocation disputes. To find out more about Permanent Relocation of a Child Abroad or how our team can help, read more.

Specific Issues orders and Prohibited Steps orders

Unfortunately, following a separation, disputes between parents over a child’s upbringing or a specific issue regarding their wellbeing are not uncommon. For example, this could be over medical treatment, which school a child should attend, or if one parent wants to relocate the child to another part of the country or abroad. In these circumstances, either parent can apply to the family court to determine these issues with the making of a Specific Issue or Prohibited Steps Order.

Our highly experienced child law solicitors understand how stressful parental childcare disagreements can be. We offer sensitive, practical advice regarding disputes over child arrangements regardless of the complexities of your case. To find out more about Specific Issues orders and Prohibited Steps orders or how our team can help, read more.

Child Custody and Residency Disputes

If you are going through a divorce or separation, you will likely be facing some difficult decisions regarding the custody arrangements of your children. Coming to a voluntary child custody agreement without involving the courts can often be the most beneficial option; however, we realise this is not always possible.

Where possible, we will try to resolve your child custody disputes through mediation, but our experienced child custody solicitors have the knowledge and expertise to provide the most appropriate solution based on your circumstances. Our family law team can advise on all matters concerning child custody and residency disputes and matters concerning the CMS (Child Maintenance Service).  To find out more about Child Custody and Residency Disputes or how our team can help, contact our experienced team.

Changing a Child’s Name

If you are looking to change your child’s family name following a divorce or separation, you will need consent from all parties with parental responsibility or a court order to formalise the name change through a Change of Name Deed. This can understandably be an emotional time for all involved, and it is not uncommon for disputes to arise if one parent wishes to change their child’s family name.

Whist, it is better for all involved to reach an amicable agreement either between you, or with the help of your respective solicitors, or through a mediator; this is not always realistic. Our specialist child law solicitors can provide expert advice and guidance in all matters concerning the Change of a Child’s name and Change of Name disputes, including Specific Issue Orders, Prohibited Steps Orders and Change of Name Deeds. To find out more about Change of Name Deeds or how our team can help with Change of a Child’s Name disputes, read more.

Finances 

Financial issues following a divorce or separation can often be one of the most complex and contentious elements, especially when children are involved, as there are several factors to consider. Tollers Solicitors have specialist expertise in matrimonial finance. Our family law team will discuss all the financial circumstances of your case and provide expert advice and guidance on all financial matters, including Consent Orders, Clean Break Orders, Child Maintenance, Spousal Maintenance, Pension Sharing Orders and High Net Worth Divorces.

We offer sensitive, practical advice regarding financial arrangements regardless of the complexities of your case. To find out more about financial remedies following a divorce or separation or how our team can help, read more.

Talk to Tollers

At Tollers Solicitors our dedicated children’s department advises clients on the options available to them as parents, including child arrangement orders and child support and maintenance. We will work with you to get the best possible outcome. Get in touch with our team of family solicitors today.