Children

Children

A child’s welfare is the primary consideration for the courts of England & Wales in determining how disputes relating to children ought to be resolved and we therefore ensure this priority is reflected in our tailored advice on issues including:-

• Child arrangement orders (living and parental contact arrangements)
• Change of name deeds
• Specific issues (education, holidays, pastimes, medication)
• Overseas problems (unauthorised travel abroad / abduction / cross-jurisdictional contact)
• Adoption
• Guardianship application
• Parental responsibility

In England and Wales, the Children Act 1989 sets out the laws and guidelines for issues involving children. The Act establishes that the welfare of the child should be the paramount consideration in any matter concerning a child. This means that the best interests of the child should be the most important factor in any decision made by the court or other agency involved in the case.

Under the Act, the court has the power to make a wide range of orders in relation to children, including:

• Custody orders, which determine who a child will live with
• Contact orders, which determine the amount of time a child will spend with each parent or other family member
• Residence orders, which determine where a child will live
• Prohibited steps orders, which prohibit a person from taking a particular action in relation to a child
• Specific issue orders, which determine a specific question in relation to a child.

Thirsk Winton LLP have the expertise and experience to help you.