Children
We are able to assist and advise in relation to all private law children matters.
We will advise whether an application for a Child Arrangements Order is suitable and we will always recommend a referral to mediation where appropriate.
A Child Arrangements Order (CAO) is an order that regulates the arrangements for a child that relate to any of the following:
- Who the child will live, spend time or have contact with?
- When the child will live, spend time or have contact with any parent, grandparent etc?
There are several ways that contact may take place:
- Direct contact between the child and the person named in the CAO.
- Overnight contact.
- Supervised contact.
- Indirect contact through phone calls, letters and/or cards.
A CAO regulates:
- With whom a child is to live and when. This will last until the child is 18 (unless the Court orders an earlier date);
- When the child is to have contact with a person and this will usually end when the child is 16 but in limited circumstances can last until the child is 18.
If it is not possible to reach an agreement you can apply to the Court for an order. Before you can do this, you are required to attend, where appropriate, a mediation assessment meeting.
