Child Law Solicitors in Birmingham, London and Northampton

When the relationship between parents breaks down, disputes about who children should live and how much time they spend with the other parent may arise. Our child law solicitors will help you resolve issues as quickly and amicably as possible to minimise the impact on your children.

On top of this, we can represent you in cases with social services, providing practical advice to help you navigate challenging situations where allegations of abuse or harm are raised.

We do more than just advise on applications for child maintenance. Our expert team of children’s lawyers excel at leading negotiations and reaching reasonable child maintenance agreements in the event of divorce or separation.

In cases where single people or couples start a family together, we can advise on the legal status of co-parents and who will have parental responsibility. Not to mention, we can advise on the legal applications that will need to be made, such as co-parenting agreements. Although these agreements are not legally binding, they set out expectations on how the child will be raised and the responsibilities of each co-parent. We will ensure that your agreement is tailored to the goals of those involved in the child’s life.

While most parents will automatically be the legal parent of their child, they may not have parental responsibility. Equally, some parents may have parental responsibility but not be legal parents. Our child law specialists can help to ensure that the legal status of parents mirrors their wishes and intentions.

If allegations are made that may impact the welfare of a child, the court will order a Fact Finding Hearing to review the evidence. Our experts can guide you through the process and ensure that your child’s best interests are protected.

Navigating child-related financial claims involves considerations that are separate from child welfare. We provide specialist guidance for families making financial claims under child law.

Our expertise extends to applications under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989, including property settlements, lump sum claims, and school fees orders. These claims are particularly important for unmarried couples or couples that used to live together. After all, they do not have access to traditional divorce settlement remedies. We not only represent parents but we can also advocate for children themselves, helping them address their financial needs such as maintenance for university fees.

Child maintenance is governed by different rules and regulations in Scotland and is referred to as ailment. We can advise parents on making applications for ailments under the Family Law (Scotland) Act 1985 and cohabitants on seeking capital sum payments under the Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006.

While grandparents do not have automatic legal rights to see their children, we can help you apply to the court for help – whether that be through a child arrangements order or special guardianship.

If you or your partner want to take your children on holiday or you want to start a new life in another country with your children, we can help you establish your rights when it comes to taking your children abroad or preventing your child from going abroad. Our experts can also help you make court applications for a specific issue order or a prohibited steps order. 

If you have been accused of child abduction or you are worried about the risk of or non-return of your children, our international child law solicitors can help you figure out the next best course of action.

Disputes involving the relocation of children to or from the UK can be complex to navigate. That is why our international child law solicitors provide specialist advice to swiftly resolve disputes.

If you are not automatically a legal parent, we can help you obtain a parental order or adoption order to provide you with financial rights and responsibilities, as well as permission to issue court applications to determine an issue concerning your child.

We can advise step-parents on obtaining parental responsibility and child arrangement orders, as well as their financial responsibilities towards children.

If you or your child identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, we can advise on a range of issues relating to gender identity, sexuality and family disputes.

Our experts can advise on surrogacy arrangements at any stage. For example, if the surrogacy takes place abroad, we can advise on bringing the baby back to the UK. We can also help you apply for a parental order to transfer the legal parentage from the surrogate to the intended parents. We understand how time-sensitive this situation is and will ensure that your application is submitted before the child turns six months old.