Child custody

Taylor Rose are one of the UK's fastest growing law firms, with more than 60 specialist family law solicitors in locations around England & Wales. We have the experience you need to deal with child custody, access or contact issues.

With divorce or separation, sorting out what's best for children can be tense and emotional. We will help you find the right way forward, applying to court if needed for a child arrangements order or, where necessary, applying to vary an existing child arrangements order or enforce compliance.

We can advise and assist on issues, including:

• Seeking to negotiate an agreement about custody and contact by consent and where agreement is reached, draft a suitable formal and enforceable agreement

• Parallel parenting

• If you cannot agree on custody, we are experienced in preparing your case for the court to decide

• Where an application to court is needed to vary or enforce a child  arrangement order

• A specific issue application, for example for an extended trip abroad with only one parent

• Where you cannot agree with your ex-spouse about issues, such as schooling

To learn more about child arrangements or to talk through your situation, please get in touch.

Resolving Child Custody & Contact by Agreement

The starting point adopted by the courts is that it is generally in a child's best interests to maintain relations with both parents. Going to a full court hearing is often not the best option.

A better approach is often to reach an agreement which can then be turned into a court order (known as a consent order). This can be enforced at court if necessary.

Where relations are amicable and there are strong relationships with both parents and the child, shared parenting, backed up by a shared parenting agreement, is a common solution. This does not mean an exact 50:50 arrangement in terms of where the child lives and time spent with each parent but represents a commitment from both parents to the child spending a significant amount of time with both parents, a co-operative approach, consistency for the child.

Negotiations on custody, access or contact can be directly between parents, through lawyers or formal mediation.

Contact Arrangements Breach & Enforcement

We represent clients where the other parent is not complying with an existing child arrangement agreement or order. Generally speaking, applying to the court should not be the first course of action, unless urgent.

The court will expect attempts to be made to remind the other parent of their responsibilities to the child(ren) first before applying to the court.