Arrangements For Children During Separation

The most important issue for any separating couple to sort out is what arrangements you should make for any dependent children, in particular with whom the children should live.

Hopefully, you will be able to agree arrangements between yourselves, in which case it should not be necessary to involve the court. However, if you cannot agree arrangements, then there are three types of court order they could apply for:-

Child arrangements order

This is an order regulating arrangements relating to with whom a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact, and when a child is to live, spend time or otherwise have contact with any person. Such an order may, for example, state that a child is to live with one parent and have contact with the other, but may also state that the child is to share its time between both parents.

Prohibited steps order

This is an order prohibiting a parent from taking certain specified steps in relation to a child, without the consent of the court. Examples of the use of such an order include: to prevent a parent from removing the child from the country, to prevent them from changing the child’s surname without the consent of the other parent, or to prevent them from changing the child’s school without the consent of the other parent.

Specific issue order

This is an order determining a specific question which has arisen, or which may arise, in connection with the child, for example which school the child should attend, whether the child should be allowed to leave the country for the purposes of a holiday, or in relation to the child’s religious upbringing.

Parental Abduction

Our experience in children matters extends beyond just domestic cases to the more extreme and urgent cases where one parent takes the child/children outside of England or Wales, or from another jurisdiction back to England without the permission or consent of the other parent. This is a complex area of law and it is important to get the right advice from an early stage. We have successfully acted for parents to secure the return of children who have been abducted. If this is an issue affecting you, call us to see how we can help.

How Prince Family Law can help?

The directors at Prince Family Law, having all been through a divorce themselves and do not underestimate what a difficult time this is both for the adults and the children involved in a separation. Therefore, we seek to ensure that satisfactory arrangements are made which are in the best interests of your children.

Every case is different, every child has differing needs, contact one of our Family Law Specialists for an initial free 30-minute consultation to discuss your circumstances and how best we can assist you in reaching a resolution.