Expert Children Experts

Legal Assistance with Child Custody

Putting Your Child’s Happiness at the Heart of Every Decision When relationships break down, emotions run high but one thing should always stay clear: your child’s well-being comes first. At Family McKenzie, we know how important it is to create arrangements that protect your child’s happiness, security, and routine. Whether you’re separating, divorcing, or simply trying to co-parent better, our team provides the calm, practical guidance you need to make child-focused decisions with confidence.

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United Kingdom Child Custody Attorneys

Professionals at Arranging Things for Your Kids

We will talk with you about the benefits of mediation and enhancing communication between you and the other parent in order to assist you in resolving any conflicts without the subject being brought before a court. We will help you with a court application for Child Arrangements Orders if this is not possible. These took the place of the previous "Residence and Contact" orders, which were also known as "Custody" and "Access" orders. They addressed the children's living arrangements, their time with each parent, their vacation schedules, and their school location. We also offer advice on Parental Responsibility Orders and the rights of grandparents. For divorce and child custody attorneys, contact us right away!

Child Custody And The Rights of Grandparents to Their Grandchildren

We offer professional legal advice on grandparents' rights to communicate with their grandkids as part of our Children Matters service. It can be difficult to navigate family disagreements, but our skilled experts are here to help. We are dedicated to standing up for your rights and making sure your grandchildren's best interests are respected.

Relevant Considerations May Include:

The grandparent's current level of involvement in the child's life.
The application's nature.
The parents' opinions.
Whether making the application may be harmful to the child.

Connect for the Childern Custody Matters

Automatic parental accountability

Parental responsibility for a child is automatically assumed by the birth mother. Automatic parental responsibility is also granted to a legal parent listed on a birth or adoption certificate. The father will also automatically be responsible for the child's upbringing if the parents were married at the time of the child's birth. If they were partners throughout treatment or are listed as the child's legal parents on the birth certificate, donors who used artificial insemination and the birth mother's civil partner or married partner will automatically be responsible for the child's upbringing.

Additional strategies for gaining parental responsibility

The biological father of a child born or the second female parent not named on the child's birth certificate may take parental responsibility if the parents were not married or in a civil partnership.. STEP-PARENTS – A step-parent can acquire parental responsibility by: OTHER PARTIES.Being listed as the person the child is to live with in child arrangements orders; adoption, which transfers parental responsibility to the adoptive and terminates it for all prior owners, including the child's biological mother and being designated as the guardian of a child by a court.

Agreements for Parental Responsibility

Completed forms must be returned with copies to the local family court, where they are signed by the parties and witnessed by:
A justice;s clerk
A justice of peace
A Clerk to a jusitce
Or An officer of the court with the authority to administer oaths

Particular Issue Orders

Under s8 of the Children Act 1989, the court can make the following orders for children:
The school a child ought to go to.
Medical care, including vaccinations.
The child's name being changed.
The religious upbringing of the child.
Relocation

Take Your Time Processing Orders.

Interacting directly and spending time with a different parent. Both daytime and nocturnal contact may fall under this category. indirect means of communication, including letters, messages, emails, video calls, and phones. supervised or assisted communication. Supervised contact can be thought of as a precursor to unsupervised interaction in the normal run of events. In situations when that is inappropriate, the court may, nevertheless, order indefinite supervised contact to guarantee that communication is maintained in situations where none would otherwise exist.

Orders for Prohibited Steps

Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 allows for the issuance of a banned steps order. Typical prohibited step orders include the following:

A celebration that prevents the child from leaving the nation or their neighborhood.
Interaction with a designated individual or individuals that may negatively impact the child.
The alteration of a child's name, especially their last name.
Medical procedures or the administration of medication; and
The child's school may be changed.

Particular Issue Orders

Under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, a specific issue order may be issued to address a particular question that has come up or may come up in relation to any facet of parental responsibility for a child, such as: