Relationships: Children

Issues concerning children are sometimes difficult and stressful but if parents can reach an amicable agreement over residence and contact the risk of harm to their children is significantly reduced.

Middleton & Upsall's family lawyers have extensive experience in dealing with disagreements which arise concerning children and we will work with our Clients to try to achieve an amicable solution by agreement. This may be achieved with the help of mediation or the use of collaborative law skills. 

If we are unable to resolve issues in this way, the Court can be asked to assist in one of the following ways :-

• Residence Order - this will say where a child should live
• Contact Order - this says who a children is able to see, where and how often
• Prohibitive Steps Order - this stops someone doing something in relation to a child, eg. Removal from the Court's jurisdiction to another country
• Specific Issues Order - this allows the Court to determine a disagreement on a specific point eg. The change of a child’s surname

The welfare of a child is the Court's paramount consideration. In reaching a decision the Judge will take into account a number of factors detailed in The Children Act 1989.