Our children are incredibly precious to us in life, and where family difficulties occur, such as separation, which has the potential to jeopardise a parent and child’s relationship, it can cause high levels of emotions, often resulting in conflict.
Our solicitors in Bournemouth are child law specialists. At Preston Redman, our team have years of combined experience helping clients navigate some of life’s hardest challenges. In most instances, we can sort out child law matters through the means of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as private negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. However, where this is not appropriate for your specific case, we can provide strong representation and will tirelessly fight your corner.
We serve a wide pool of clients across the Bournemouth, Poole, and the further Dorset areas. Where clients need legal assistance with any type of child law issue, our solicitors are ready to deliver sensitive support and guide you to meet your desired outcome.
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced family law solicitors, please contact Janine Bryant at our Bournemouth office on 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.
How our child law solicitors can help you
Our child law solicitors can aid with matters, such as:
Child Arrangements Orders
Separating from your partner whilst you have children can make matters considerably difficult as you have to arrange where they will live, who they will live with and when they will see the other parent. Parents are often able to voluntarily agree on these matters and decide to co-parent, but in some situations, an amicable agreement is, unfortunately, not possible.
Our child law solicitors are experts in assisting parents with making arrangements for their children. Where you are unable to find a child arrangement that suits you both or you are both satisfied with, our solicitors are on hand to provide clear, realistic advice you can trust.
We have the experience to ensure our clients get the outcome they desire while avoiding unnecessary conflict. No matter your circumstances or the complexity of your case, we will tirelessly fight your corner.
In Court, the needs and welfare of children will be put first before all else. Therefore, where matters need to be resolved in Court, we will prepare a well-drafted argument to fully represent your wishes in Court, taking into consideration those of your children.
Our child law solicitors can assist with matters including:
- Negotiating child arrangements
- Applying for a Child Arrangements Order
Read more about how our Bournemouth child law solicitors can assist with Child Arrangements Orders.
Prohibited Steps Orders
Co-parenting can have plenty of complications, and you may have disagreements on specific matters involving your child. Where you have different wants for your child’s upbringing, we will help you attempt to amicably resolve matters through ADR approaches in the hope to avoid contentious Court proceedings.
Where matters have escalated, and you are unable to agree on specific matters with your co-parent, we can assist in applying to the Court for a Prohibited Steps Order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989, including emergency Prohibited Steps Orders.
A Prohibited Steps Order prevents a person with parental responsibility from carrying out a specific activity.
A PSO can restrict a number of different activities in relation to children, including:
- Moving the child from their school
- Preventing the child from coming in contact with a specific person
- Preventing the child from moving outside of the UK
- Changing the child’s surname
- Preventing the child from moving from the local area
- Preventing the child from undergoing particular medical treatments
Specific Issue Orders
Where you disagree with your co-parent about specific matters regarding your child or children, we understand that it can cause considerable frustration for those involved.
It is possible to make a decision without another parent’s permission. Specific Issue Orders are opposite to Prohibited Steps Order. They allow a person with parental responsibility to make a choice without requiring the consent of the other parent.
We always encourage you to resolve matters between yourselves first but understand it is not always a possibility. Where you need our child law solicitor’s support, we will provide constructive yet personal support to achieve your needs, whether this is by ADR or applying to Court.
Parental Responsibility
When separating from your partner, it is crucial to ensure that you have parental responsibility. Whilst you may legally be a child’s parent, if you do not have parental responsibility, you do not have the rights or responsibilities to that child.
You will only have parental responsibility of a child if you were married or in a civil partnership with the mother at birth, your name is on the birth certificate, you made a parental responsibility agreement with the mother or got a Court Order.
Where you do not have parental responsibility, we can assist you with contacting the mother to obtain an agreement. It might be possible that they will deny your request, and in this situation, we will provide the next available option, such as applying to Court for a Parental Responsibility Order.
Why choose Preston Redman’s child law solicitors
We are proud of the child law services we offer our clients. We have many years of experience in helping clients through incredibly stressful and challenging situations, and our work is recognised by the Law Society’s Family Law Advanced accreditation, which reflects our dedication, skill and in-depth knowledge of child law matters.
In addition to our Law Society accreditation, many of our family and children team are members of Resolution. Resolution is an organisation made up of solicitors that aim to resolve family law matters in constructive and non-confrontational ways.
Our child law solicitors’ fees
Fixed fee child law services
Where matters are less complicated and are more straightforward to resolve, we are able to offer our child law services through fixed fees. This provides our clients with complete certainty over costs prior to beginning the process.
Hourly rates for our child law services
We recognise that some issues are more complicated than others and require ongoing advice and a higher level of legal expertise from our child law solicitors. If this applies to your situation, we offer competitive hourly rates.
Get in touch with our child law solicitors in Bournemouth
To speak to one of our friendly, highly experienced family law solicitors, please contact Janine Bryant at our Bournemouth office on 01202 292 424 or fill in our online enquiry form for a quick response.