Mediation For Dog Owners Helping Dog Owners Resolve Disagreements Dogs are an important part of our families, and when disagreements arise between dog owners, emotions can quickly become difficult to manage. Disputes can happen for many different reasons. Perhaps two...
OTHER INSIGHTS
Family Mediation Voucher
Scheme
This UK Government scheme helps separated parents use family mediation to sort out disputes without going to the family courts. 1) What the scheme is The Family Mediation Voucher Scheme provides up to £500 to help pay for family mediation. Family mediation is a...
Are mediation agreements legally
binding?
An agreement reached in family mediation is not automatically legally binding. It is an agreement between the parents, and the mediator can record what has been agreed. To make the arrangements legally binding, you usually need a court order. Key legal distinction (at...
What is a Child Arrangements Order and how can we help?
A child arrangements order is a court order that sets out who has responsibility for the care of a child, including who they live with and how often they will see/ have contact with both parents.
Most commonly used in cases where the parents cannot reach an agreement on how to share the care of their children, the purpose of the order is to ensure that the child’s welfare is the first and foremost consideration.
What is a child arrangements order? What does it mean?
A child arrangements order is a court order that sets out who is responsible for the care of a child.
It is usually used in cases when the parents cannot agree on how to split care of their children.
What does a child arrangements order specify?
A child arrangements order can state:
- Who the children live with
- Where they live
- When and how the children will see both parents
For example, they may spend weeknights in the family home and weekends with their mother/father.
It can also set out other types of contact such as through phone calls, video calls, cards and letters etc.
Who can apply for a child arrangements order?
The following people can apply for an order without prior permission from the court.
- A parent, guardian or special guardian of the child
- A spouse or civil partner if the child is part of that family
- Someone with parental responsibility
- Someone who already has a residence order for that child
- Someone who the child has lived with for more than three years
Grandparents, who do not meet any of the criteria above, have to apply to the court for permission before applying for the order.
How can we help?
Mediation is by far the cheapest option when resolving any dispute and our team of highly experience mediators can help families through the process of making the appropriate child arrangement order. Please contact our administration team to discuss this further.