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Child Law Solicitors in Clapham

Disputes involving children often present parents, other family members and the courts with difficult decisions. Goodsells child law solicitors can provide clear, reliable legal advice and support on a wide range of child law matters.

In all cases involving children, ensuring that their welfare is maintained will always be the priority, both for the Family Court and for Family Law solicitors.

As a Child Law Solicitor based in Clapham, London, we provide sensitive and pragmatic legal advice in relation to all Child Law issues, and we understand the complex and emotionally challenging nature of such matters.

When you choose to instruct Goodsells Family Law for your Child Law matter, you will be working with Donna Goodsell, who has over 20 years of expertise in Family Law, including Child Law issues. Her experience ranges from more straightforward matters to others very complicated. Donna is highly skilled and will provide clear, realistic, and supportive advice you can trust, ensuring stress is kept to a minimum for everyone involved.

Read more about Donna Goodsell’s Family Law expertise

We have many years’ experience helping clients who are in conflict over children, and we work very hard to resolve matters as quickly and amicably as possible. We will also fight tirelessly on your behalf to ensure that your desired outcomes are achieved, whatever the circumstances.

For an initial consultation with our Children Solicitor in London, please call 020 7622 2221, email enquiries@goodsellssolicitors.co.uk or complete our online enquiry form to request a call back.

Specialist Child Law advice for clients across London

Our expert Child Law solicitor can provide advice and representation to all family members on a wide range of legal issues relating to children. With expertise in Child Law, we regularly provide support on matters such as:

  • Child residence and contact
  • Child arrangement orders
  • Prohibited Steps orders, including preventing the removal of a child from jurisdiction and changing the surname of a child
  • Specific issue orders
  • Parental rights and responsibilities

Child residence and contact

When parents experience a relationship breakdown, such as a divorce or separation, arrangements for where the children will live and how much contact they have with each parent need to be made. Unfortunately, this can often cause disagreements between parents and is where a solicitor and potentially the court will need to intervene.

Our solicitor understands how important it is for parents to maintain their relationships with children and will always put the children’s best interest first, including taking into consideration the children’s personal feelings and wishes.

Court proceedings can often be contentious and stressful, in addition to time consuming and costly. For these reasons, our solicitor will assist you with alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods, including negotiation and family mediation.

Child Arrangement Orders

Occasionally parents are unable to amicably agree on arrangements concerning their children and may require court assistance through a child arrangement order, which will formally set out residence and contact matters, such as the time spent with each parent and the type of contact.

Our solicitor can help to prepare a robust argument supporting your wishes, along with any supporting evidence. We can also represent you in court should you wish. We have a strong track record for success and will tirelessly fight your concern in hopes of achieving the desired outcome.

Prohibited Steps Orders

Prohibited Steps Orders, or PSOs, prevent a parent from carrying out certain actions in relation to the child.

Our specialist child law solicitor can help to prohibit:

In addition to assisting with drafting a standard application to obtain a Prohibited Steps Order, our solicitor can provide expert advice and support in applying for an emergency PSO where potentially there is an imminent threat.

Specific Issue Orders

Specific Issue Orders, or SIOs, require a parent to carry out certain actions in relation to the child in question.

Our family lawyer can help with SIO matters, including:

  • Whether a child’s surname can be changed
  • Whether a child can receive specific medical treatment
  • Whether a child should have a religious upbringing
  • Where they should attend school
  • Whether the child can go abroad on holiday

Our solicitor can assist with drafting an application to court to obtain a Specific Issue Order. With our expertise, you can have the reassurance that everything has been done correctly, with any potential problems sidestepped.

Parental rights and responsibilities

When a child is born, the mother automatically attains parental responsibility, meaning they have certain rights and obligations over the child, however the father will only have parental responsibility if they are named on the birth certificate. There may be situations where a father or another figure in the child’s life wishes to acquire parental responsibility. For this, it’s essential to seek Law advice from a specialist solicitor.

Our solicitor can assist unmarried fathers and step-parents in seeking a parental responsibility agreement with the mother, or where that is not possible, apply to the court for a parental responsibility order.

Excellent value for money

We are proud to offer highly competitive rates for our Child Law services.

Where child law matters are simpler, such as applying to court for a Specific Issue Order, we are able to offer our services on a fixed fee basis, which provides completely certainty over the expected costs.

From the outset, we will be completely transparent over costs and will always ensure that you are completely happy to proceed before carrying out any work.

Contact our Child Solicitor in Clapham, London

Whether your child law issue is straightforward or much more complicated to resolve, Goodsells Family Law is here to provide Law advice in London.

For an initial consultation with our children law solicitor in, Clapham, London, please call 020 7622 2221, email enquiries@goodsellssolicitors.co.uk or fill in our online enquiry form to request a call back.

Child law FAQs

Who has parental responsibility?

It’s easy to presume that both the biological parents have Parental Responsibility for a child, however this isn’t always the case.

Parental Responsibility is automatically acquired in three different ways, and these are:

  • The male parent was married or in a civil partnership with the child’s birth mother at the time of birth
  • The child was legally adopted
  • The male parent was named on the birth certificate. This only applies after a certain date, e.g. 1 December 2003 in England and Wales

What circumstances will the court take into consideration for a child court order?

When the court is required to make a decision for specific matters surrounding the child, they will always consider the child’s best interests over all else and that includes taking into account a number of factors when making their decision, as follows:

  • The child’s wishes and feelings
  • The child’s physical, emotional, and educational needs
  • How the change of circumstances will affect the child
  • The child’s age, gender, background, and characteristics where relevant
  • Any potential harm the child could be vulnerable to
  • Any harm the child has suffered or may suffer
  • The capability of each parent/guardian

Contact our child solicitor in Clapham, London

For an initial consultation with our child lawyer in Clapham, London, please call 020 7622 2221, email enquiries@goodsellssolicitors.co.uk or fill in our online enquiry form to request a call back.