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We are specialist family law solicitors who charge competitive fees for helping parents resolve disputes about where children live, contact arrangements and important decisions about their upbringing.
Where agreement is not possible, our experienced family lawyers can represent you in applications for child arrangements orders, including complex or contested proceedings involving safeguarding concerns, relocation or restrictions on contact.
Our lawyers will help you assess your position, understand your legal options, the evidence needed and the strengths and weaknesses of your case. We then use our experience to develop workable proposals, look to negotiate constructively and, above all else, we protect your position, identifying when court intervention is necessary.
We provide advice and representation in relation to:
Child custody and living arrangements – agreeing or obtaining orders specifying where children live, including arrangements for shared care or where one parent has primary responsibility for day-to-day care.
Child contact and access disputes – negotiating practical arrangements for time with each parent, including overnight stays, holidays and indirect contact.
Child arrangements orders – preparing applications, evidence and proposals, negotiating settlements and representing parents in court proceedings.
Changing or enforcing existing arrangements – advising where arrangements no longer work, one parent repeatedly breaches an order or circumstances have materially changed.
Sole custody and restricted contact – assessing whether restrictions are justified, particularly where there are concerns about abuse, neglect or other risks to a child's welfare.
Relocation disputes – representing parents seeking to move with a child or opposing proposed relocation within the UK or overseas.
Specific issue and prohibited steps orders – resolving disagreements over matters such as schooling, medical treatment, holidays abroad or proposed decisions affecting a child.
High-conflict parenting disputes – advising on allegations of parental alienation, persistent obstruction of contact, communication difficulties and parallel parenting.
We also consider whether a dispute is part of a wider separation or divorce and whether related issues should be addressed together.
Experienced and practical - our experience includes complex cases involving allegations of harm, relocation and contested contact. We assess the evidence, explain what is realistically achievable and help you decide on a proportionate strategy; court is not always the best solution. Our starting point is to understand what is causing the disagreement, whether the arrangements can be improved through negotiation and what steps will provide greater certainty for the future.
Competitive fees -our lawyers fee rates are highly competitive for their level of experience. We discuss likely costs, available options and the potential benefits of each approach before substantial work is undertaken. Our aim is to achieve the right result without unnecessary correspondence, applications or expense.
London and nationwide coverage - we have a number of offices serving clients across the capital and surrounding Home Counties. We also have a major hub in Peterborough, serving the East of England and Midlands, together with offices and lawyers across the South West, North West and other parts of England and Wales. We can advise and represent clients remotely where appropriate, as well as through our offices.
Our family law team regularly handles both negotiated and contested child arrangements matters. Recent instructions include:
Successfully opposing an overseas relocation - We represented a father in successfully appealing against a mother's application to relocate overseas with their child. We identified shortcomings in the proposed relocation arrangements and argued that the move would adversely affect the child's emotional and educational welfare.
Securing long-term supervised contact arrangements - We assisted a mother in successfully arguing that contact between her child and the father should remain supervised because of safeguarding concerns. Any future consideration of unsupervised contact would depend on significant therapeutic work by the father and evidence that a safe parent-child relationship could be established.
Restoring contact between a father and child - We represented a father who was being prevented from seeing his child. We raised significant concerns relating to parental alienation and secured a court order providing for regular, unrestricted contact.
Our published case studies demonstrate the legal and tactical considerations involved in these disputes:
Child arrangements and domestic abuse case study – handling evidence of domestic abuse, safeguarding concerns and negotiations that resulted in protective arrangements.
Sole custody and lives-with orders – advising on realistic applications and why seeking to exclude the other parent can sometimes be counterproductive.
Specific issue application case study – an example of our work resolving a disagreement about an important decision affecting a child.
If you need advice about child custody, contact arrangements or an ongoing dispute, speak to our experienced family law solicitors. We can assess your position, explain your options and likely costs, and help you find a practical way forward that protects your child's interests.
Telephone -
9am to 5pm
We also have a number of specialist consultants who may not be featured below. Use the search function below if you want to find all lawyers for this legal service.
Many parents can agree suitable arrangements without contested proceedings. Negotiations, mediation and other forms of non-court dispute resolution may be appropriate, depending on the circumstances.
Where parents reach agreement, a solicitor can help ensure that the arrangements are sufficiently clear and practical. Where appropriate, the parties may ask the court to approve a consent order, giving the arrangements legal force.
Court proceedings may be appropriate where agreement cannot be reached, a parent is being prevented from seeing a child, existing orders are repeatedly breached or there are serious safeguarding concerns.
Before most private law children applications, the applicant must consider mediation through a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM), unless an exemption applies.
The court may seek information from Cafcass, consider safeguarding allegations and direct further evidence or hearings before making a final decision.
For a fuller explanation of the law and court process, see our guide to child custody and child arrangements.
Yes. Mothers and fathers can apply for child arrangements orders. The court considers the child's welfare rather than automatically favouring either parent. The child's existing care arrangements, each parent's ability to meet their needs and any safeguarding concerns may all be relevant.
Contact may need to be restricted where there are genuine safeguarding concerns, but simply disagreeing with the other parent or being unhappy with their behaviour will not necessarily justify preventing contact. We can advise on whether restrictions, supervision or a court application are appropriate.
You may be able to apply to enforce the order, although the court will consider the circumstances and whether there was a reasonable excuse. Sometimes negotiation or an application to vary the order will be more effective than enforcement proceedings.
Yes. Arrangements can be changed by agreement or, where necessary, through a court application. Changes in schooling, working patterns, relocation, a child's developing needs or safeguarding concerns may justify reviewing existing arrangements.
Yes. Grandparents can seek contact or other child arrangements, although they will usually need the court's permission before making an application. We can advise on the prospects and appropriate procedure.
Call our team or fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Telephone opening hours -
9am to 5pm
