Child Law

With offices across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire, including Lincoln, Grimsby and Hull, our professional and caring solicitors can help.

Child Law Solicitors

Legal issues involving children can be particularly difficult and emotional. At Bridge McFarland LLP, our experienced family law team includes specialist child law solicitors provide clear, practical advice to parents, grandparents, guardians and other family members who need help resolving arrangements or protecting the interests of a child.

We understand how important it is to protect the needs and interests of children and how stressful disputes involving them can be. When resolving children matters, the welfare of the child will be the primary consideration, and our team can help you understand your options and work towards an appropriate way forward.

Our specialist child law solicitors advise families across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire on a wide range of private and public children law matters.

How Our Child Law Solicitors Can Help

Family circumstances can change for many different reasons. You may be separating from your child’s other parent, struggling to agree on arrangements for your children, concerned about financial support or looking for advice about your rights as a grandparent or guardian.

Our child law solicitors can provide advice and assistance with:

We can help parents agree practical arrangements for their children following separation, including where a child will live and how much time they will spend with each parent. Where an agreement cannot be reached, we can advise on applying for or responding to a Child Arrangement Order and guide you through the court process where necessary.

Not every disagreement will end in court proceedings. In some circumstances, parents may be able to establish arrangements through discussion, mediation or a Parenting Plan. Our solicitors can help you understand the different options available and find an approach suited to your family.

We can also advise on financial issues concerning children, including child maintenance and applications for financial provision for children under Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989.

Child law issues are not limited to parents. Grandparents and other family members can play an important role in a child’s life, and we can provide advice about grandparents’ rights and the options available where contact with a grandchild has been restricted. We also advise on Special Guardianship Orders where someone other than a parent is taking on a longer-term caring role for a child.

Our expertise extends to situations where parents disagree about important decisions concerning their children, including taking or travelling with a child abroad. We can explain your rights and responsibilities and advise on the steps that may be required before a child leaves England and Wales.

Depending on the type of case and your individual circumstances, Legal Aid may also be available. Our team can explain the eligibility requirements and whether funding may be available for your matter.

Experienced Children Law Solicitors

We have a dedicated team of specialist child law solicitors who can provide expert advice and guidance in this complex and sensitive area of law.

Our team can represent clients in private law children matters, including disputes concerning child arrangements, parental responsibility and specific issues affecting a child’s upbringing.

We also have extensive experience of public law proceedings involving local authorities and children’s services, including circumstances where a local authority is seeking to intervene in family life or place a child in care or with another family member.

Our experienced team includes solicitors who are Children Panel Members and can therefore represent parents as well as children themselves. Children may instruct us through a Children’s Guardian appointed by the court or, in appropriate circumstances, directly. We also receive instructions from Children’s Guardians employed by CAFCASS (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service).

Supporting You Through Child Law Matters

Disputes concerning children can be extremely stressful, particularly where relationships between family members have broken down or there are concerns about a child’s welfare.

There may also be circumstances where children need to be safeguarded from abuse, abduction or other risks. In some cases, intervention by the court may be necessary to protect the child and determine the appropriate arrangements for their care.

Our child law solicitors have experience dealing with a wide range of matters, including childcare proceedings, parental alienation, parental responsibility, wardship and child abuse, as well as disputes arising following divorce or separation.

Whatever your circumstances, we will take the time to understand your situation, explain the options available and guide you through the steps involved. Where court proceedings are required, we can provide advice and representation throughout the process.

Child Law Solicitors in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire

Our experienced child law team provides advice to clients across Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire.

We recognise that every family’s circumstances are different. Our aim is to provide practical legal advice while handling your matter with the sensitivity and care it deserves.

Where possible, we will help you explore ways of resolving disagreements without unnecessary court proceedings. Where court action is required, we have the specialist experience to guide and represent you.

Get in Touch with Our Child Law Solicitors

If you need advice about arrangements for your children or another child law matter, speak to our specialist team.

Contact Bridge McFarland LLP today to arrange an initial discussion about your circumstances and find out how we can help.

Other Legal Services

We can also provide specialist legal advice on other areas of law that may be relevant to your circumstances, including Divorce and Separation, Financial Matters, Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Estate Management and Conveyancing.

Find a Family Solicitor Near You

Read our Child Law FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Child Law

How easy this is to do and how to do it will depend on who has parental responsibility and whether all parties agree to the change. If all parties with parental responsibility have provided written agreement to the change this can be done easily via a Change of Name Deed. If one parent refuses, a Specific Issue Order will need to be obtained from the Court.

If your ex has parental responsibility, you cannot generally stop them from seeing your child without a Court Order in place. An exception to this would be if there are serious concerns about the child’s welfare or safety in which case, you should seek legal advice. If they don’t have parental responsibility, they do not have an automatic right to have contact with your child and would need to get a Court Order to do so if you don’t agree.

A Prohibited Steps Order is a court order which prevents a parent or guardian from taking specific actions regarding a child without the court’s permission. Examples include taking a child abroad and removing a child from school.

A Child Arrangements Order sets out where a child will live, who they will spend time with, and how contact will take place after parents separate or divorce. You might need a Child Arrangements Order if there is a disagreement between parents about where a child will live or when, where and how often contact can take place.

A Child Protection Plan is a plan put in place by the Local Authority to set out the action which is needed to reduce your child/children suffering harm. Under this plan a social worker is allocated to you and your family and regular meetings will take place (at least every 4 weeks) to review the plan and the progress which has been made.

This is a package of support which is put in place to provide extra support for your child/children and your family to address any areas of need and risk assessed by a Social Worker.

This is for families who might need a little extra support and is a group of people (including professionals, e.g; health visitors / social workers / teachers etc) who will work together to support you and your child/children to prevent any concerns increasing.

Our Child Law Team

Jacqueline Pennock

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