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We understand how sensitive legal issues involving your children can be, so our child law solicitors specialise in finding solutions quickly and cost-effectively while keeping conflict to a minimum.
Using non-confrontational dispute resolution, we can find a solution that protects your children’s best interests without the need for court action.
Our child law solicitors in Milton Keynes and Northampton regularly help families with a wide range of legal matters involving children, including those related to divorce and separation, as well as adoption and other child law issues.
Where your children will live can be one of the most contentious issues to resolve. With whom the children reside is a critical decision to be made and it is important to sort this out quickly to give your children certainty and stability over the future. Establishing a parent’s rights to have contact with their children is also key to ensure parent-child relationships are maintained.
Wherever possible, we will try to help you agree these issues and, where necessary, we can apply to a court for Orders to determine where your children will live and associated contact arrangements.    You can also avoid Court involvement by agreeing the terms of a Parenting Plan.
You have a duty to provide financially for your children if they do not reside with you.   You have the option to voluntarily agree maintenance payments with your ex-partner where required or you can allow the Child Maintenance Service to decide this for you.
If your ex-partner is failing to pay the agreed child maintenance, we can help you take action to enforce payment so you can ensure your children get the support they need.
Having ‘parental responsibility’ gives you the legal right to be involved in decisions about your child’s life. While a child’s birth mother will normally have parental responsibility automatically, whether any other parents have this or not will depend on the circumstances.
We can help you understand your legal rights as a parent and apply for a Parental Responsibility Order where required.
If you are concerned about your child’s safety or that the other parent may attempt to remove them from the country without your agreement, there are various options we can pursue on your behalf.
When adopting a child, prospective parents are required to go through a variety of stages including certain evaluations and legal procedures. This process can take time and in certain cases may be affected by previous legal proceedings that in some way involve the child.
Although we understand that it can be difficult, our belief is that negotiation and amicable agreement is the best way to achieve a positive outcome. This process can be used by your lawyer as a pathway to establish clear agreements relating to contact, residence and parental responsibility away from the expense and stress of court.
In many cases, disputes over children can be effectively resolved through mediation. This involves both parents meeting with one of our trained, neutral mediators to discuss the issues and options in a non-confrontational way. The mediator can ensure that the discussions are constructive and facilitate a mutually acceptable agreement over arrangements for your children. This is often the fastest, most cost-effective and least acrimonious way to resolve disputes involving children.
Franklins Solicitors has been assisting families across the East Midlands and South East England with legal issues involving children for over 30 years. With more than 100 staff spread across our offices in Northampton and central Milton Keynes, we have the skills and experience to ensure a positive outcome for you and your family.
We pride ourselves on being one of the most technologically advanced firms of solicitors in the country. Offering a combination of traditional legal expertise and the latest innovations, we provide a truly modern approach to the law.
We are accredited to ISO 9001 standard and Lexcel accredited by the Law Society. These attainments reflect our commitment to providing excellence as standard, not as an exception.
A child arrangement order is a court order which details who has parental responsibility for the child, including who they will live with.
A child arrangement order determines who has parental responsibility for the child, including where they will live and any care arrangements between parents.
A court order will determine who has parental responsibility for the child. Parental responsibility provides the carer with ultimate power over the “all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child and his property.”
A child arrangement order will usually last until the child is an adult at 18 years of age.
Yes, the carer in a child arrangement order is able to claim child benefit.
If there is a breach of a child arrangement order there are a range of consequences, including variations to the arrangement order, and possible fines. A breach of an arrangement order is also considered a contempt of court.
Following a breakdown of relationship, our Family Law team were instructed to act in relation to a family dispute around a property and child matters.
Mr Y agreed to participate in mediation. After several sessions an agreement was reached under which Ms X received a lump sum payment from Mr Y which she could then use to buy a new property. Mr Y also received legal advice himself alongside the mediation process and having been informed of his legal position, he adopted a different position in negotiations than he had in the immediate aftermath of the relationship breakdown. The mediation also allowed the couple to discuss various other issues, like how the children should be sharing their time between parents
If you have any questions about family law, please don’t hesitate to contact our team of experts who are on hand and ready to help you.
