Family Law
When a family breaks up children can be particularly vulnerable and have limited influence over the way their lives are to change. It is a parent’s responsibility to their utmost to minimise the effect a separation will have on any children of that relationship and to always be mindful that as parents your shared responsibilities as parents continue.
This is why cooperation and non-confrontational negotiation with both parents working together to secure arrangements which meet your children’s needs is the best way forward. You have the best understanding of your own children and as parents are best able to mitigate the effects of the break-up on them, together you can devise the most suitable living arrangements for them. Agreements reached by the parents together are more likely to work in the longer term and be respected by the wider family.
We also understand that it is not always possible to reach an agreement with your ex-partner as to what is best for your children, as children issues can be incredibly emotive. We at John Hodge Solicitors understand the emotions involved when it comes to making plans for your children and our experienced team will help you to try to reach an agreement with your ex-partner in order to achieve an outcome that is best for your children and allows you to co-parent your children with your ex-partner moving forwards.
Mediation may be a practical alternative and our Family Lawyers can provide you with advice as to how to make a referral mediation and whether or not this process is right for you.
The legal processes surrounding children issues are designed to ensure that the child’s best interests will be treated as a matter of priority in any children’s proceedings. Identifying what course of action best protects a child’s wellbeing can be a difficult balance of conflicting opinions and considerations. We can provide an invaluable professional perspective which ideally will result in proposals and plans that can be agreed as early as possible and can be sufficiently flexible to accommodate changes to different parties circumstances.
If you are unable to resolve matters with your ex-partner we will be able to advise you on the alternative options open to you. Including, if necessary, pursuing matters through the Court and advising and supporting you through that process.
Let our experienced child law specialists help you: we can help you if you need to apply to the court for a Child Arrangements Order and will be at your side to guide you through the entire process. Your children are always the priority of the court, the court will ensure that the children are safeguarded against any foreseeable problems and will have regard to The Children’s Welfare Checklist whenever deciding upon issues involving children.
Whenever the court receives an application involving children, CAFCASS, who are Court Welfare Officers, will speak to both parties and conduct safeguarding checks to see if the parties are known to the police or Social Services and are appropriate to offer care to the child in question. CAFCASS will speak to the parties in order to listen to their points of view and understand their concerns. CAFCASS will then write to the court with a proposal as to how care of the child can be best arranged.
Depending upon the issues involved and the ages of the children, it may be the case that CAFCASS are ordered to produce a report, providing their advice as to where and with whom the children should live, how contact should progress to ensure that it is safe and is in the best interests of the children. If the child is older they will also take into account the children’s wishes and feelings in respect of where they want to live and how much contact they want to have with each parent.
Our experienced Family Lawyers can help you and provide advice and assistance throughout this entire process as well as represent you at court and, should the need arise, discussing your position directly with CAFCASS to highlight any issues that you may wish to raise.
At John Hodge Solicitors we know and understand that your children are of the utmost importance to you. It is vital that you get the best advice legal possible, delivered in a sympathetic and understanding way.
We have Family Lawyers across Bristol and Somerset with offices based in Bridgwater, Clevedon, Wedmore, Weston-Super-Mare and Yatton.
Our experienced Family Lawyers offer a free initial consultation within which your Family Law issues can be discussed with no obligation on your part to instruct us moving forward.
Contact us TODAY to arrange your free initial consultation using our online enquiry form.
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