As specialist divorce and family law solicitors we are regularly asked by divorcing couples if they can skip mediation and go straight to court. It is understandable why some people think that mediation might slow the court process down, but in some situations, mediation can avoid the need for expensive or protracted family court litigation. In this blog we look at the circumstances where you can skip mediation and go straight to court. When Can You Skip Mediation to Resolve Family Law Issues? Family lawyers say there are some situations where you and your ex-husband or ex-wife or separated partner don’t have to go to mediation before you can start court proceedings. Examples include: Where the situation is a children law emergency – such as where you fear that the child will be taken overseas unless you secure a prohibited steps order to prevent child abduction Where the situation is a potential financial emergency – such as where an estranged husband or wife is selling or transferring assets and you need the protection of a court order to stop them from disposing of assets to defeat your financial claims Where there are domestic violence issues and you need the protection of an injunction order or it isn’t considered safe for you to engage in mediation.   There are other situations where family mediation can be skipped and you can start court proceedings without first attempting family mediation but family solicitors would question if that is necessarily a good idea.   What is family mediation? Many spouses or separating couples want to skip mediation as they see it as a hurdle to overcome before a court will make a decision. However, lots of people don’t appreciate just how long it can take to secure a court order or how complex the process is. A specialist family law solicitor should explain all options to you so that you can make informed choices.   Family mediation is a voluntary form of non-court-based dispute resolution. The family mediator is an impartial third party who helps you reach a resolution to family issues such as child care arrangements or your financial settlement. The mediator should ensure that you both listen to one another even though you may not agree with what the other has to say. The job of the mediator to help you find a solution that works and is acceptable to both of you. Normally family mediation takes place with a family mediator sitting in a room with both of you and the mediator uses their skills to help you reach your own agreement, rather than have an order imposed on you by a family court judge.   If that type of family mediation doesn’t appeal to you then either shuttle mediation or solicitor involved mediation can take place. In shuttle mediation you and your partner do not meet in the same room and instead the mediator shuttles between rooms to help you reach an agreement. In solicitor involved mediation each of you can have your solicitor involved in the mediation sessions as well as providing legal support outside the mediation sessions. [related_posts] Why use family mediation to resolve your family law problems? Although you may want to skip mediation it is best to take some legal advice before starting court proceedings as not all family law solicitors recommend the use of court proceedings to resolve every type of family law issue, whether it is sorting out who gets to keep the family home, how pensions are shared or the child care arrangements for the children.   You may have a preconceived view about mediation because it didn’t work for your friends or a family member going through a divorce or because you are worried that the mediator will side with your ex-partner or that you will be bullied into reaching an agreement. Talking to a family solicitor about your concerns about mediation can help and in addition you can: Make sure that you get the right legal support during mediation so that you know your legal rights and the potential likely outcomes of any court proceedings Get your family solicitor to help choose a mediator with the particular skills you need to try to make mediation work for you If you are worried about being in the same room as your partner looking at the option of shuttle mediation.   What are the alternatives to family mediation? If you don’t want to use family mediation or family mediation doesn’t work for you then there are other alternatives to court proceedings, such as: Solicitor negotiations Round table meetings Collaborative law Family arbitration.   A specialist family law solicitor will talk you through the various options with the focus being to use a resolution method that gives you the best outcome for you and your family. In some situations, court proceedings are the only realistic option to reach a resolution. For example, where a former husband or wife is refusing to give financial disclosure so a reasonable financial settlement can't be reached in the absence of information that the court can order is disclosed as part of the court financial disclosure process. An experienced family law solicitor won’t have a fixed view about the best method for you to reach a financial or child care resolution but instead will listen to your concerns and questions and help you work out the best option for you. They may say that skipping family mediation isn’t in your best interests as it could be the cheapest and quickest way of your reaching a resolution and that with mediation support from a specialist family lawyer you won’t feel as if you were bullied into a resolution that hasn’t been reality tested or that doesn’t meet your needs as you felt you weren’t able to express them during mediation. Our Manchester and Cheshire Family Solicitors Evolve Family Law specialise in separation, divorce , financial settlements and children law matters. For help with your family law needs call us or complete our online enquiry form. Evolve Family Law offices are located in Whitefield, North Manchester and Holmes Chapel, Cheshire but our family law solicitors are experienced in working remotely and are offering meetings by telephone appointment or video call.

Cheshire children law solicitors are often asked ‘how long does it take to get a child arrangements order?’ It is an understandable question as any parent is naturally anxious about starting children law court proceedings and wants to have a good idea about the likely timescales for getting a child arrangements order as well as the cost and prospects of success. In this blog children law solicitor Louise Halford looks at how long it takes to get a child arrangements order. What is a child arrangements order? Not everyone knows what a UK child arrangements order is. That’s because unlike the old child custody orders the name isn’t particularly clear but child custody and child access orders were relabelled as child residence and child contact orders and the latest renaming is the ‘child arrangements order’.   A child arrangements order can combine both custody and contact as the order can say where the child lives (there could be a primary carer or a shared carer arrangement) and with whom the child should have contact with. The contact could be regular overnight contact, mid-week contact, holiday contact or even indirect contact.   Does a court automatically make a child arrangements order if parent’s separate or divorce? UK children law says that the court should not make a child arrangements order unless the order is necessary because there is a dispute between separated parents that they can't resolve by agreement or family mediation. If parents can't agree on the appropriate and best childcare arrangements for their child after a separation or divorce either parent, whether you are an unmarried or married parent, can apply to the family court for a child arrangements order. [related_posts] How long does it take to get a child arrangements order? It is difficult to answer the question ‘how long does it take to get a child arrangements order?’ as much depends on the family circumstances. Experienced children law solicitors have been known to secure an urgent child arrangements order in a matter of hours. For example, if a parent is worried that the other parent is under the influence of drink or drugs and it is unsafe to return a young child to them but the parent won't accept that or get help or agree to the child staying with the other parent until they are capable of looking after the child again.   When the court is asked to make an urgent child arrangements order it will normally last for a short period of time until the court can assess what long term child arrangements order is in the child’s long term best interests.   In other child arrangements order applications it can take months to secure a child arrangements order. For example, if one parent says that a child won't see the other parent or that the parent has emotionally or physically abused the child the court may want to carry out detailed investigations and order reports before making a decision on contact and what child arrangements order is best for the child. That sort of extended timescale can be very frustrating for a parent, especially where false allegations have been made against them or they fear parental alienation is taking place. The court proceedings can take a long time to determine as the family judge may want to hold a series of interim court hearings (for example, a finding of fact hearing to determine if the parent’s allegations of abuse are true) or to order an independent assessment by a CAFCASS officer or a report by a child psychologist.   If you can't reach an agreement on the arrangements for your child then it is best to speak to an experienced children law solicitor on the likely timescale to get a child arrangements order as they will listen to why you need a child arrangements order and your concerns, discuss any complexities, and then be able to give you a realistic timescale for the court proceedings and the prospects of the court making interim child arrangements orders until the final hearing of the court application. Our Manchester and Cheshire Children Law Solicitors At North Manchester and Cheshire based Evolve Family Law we recognise that not being able to agree on child care arrangements and applying for a child arrangements order can be a stressful experience. For pragmatic specialist children law help from friendly and approachable children law solicitors call Evolve Family Law to discuss how we can help you with your child arrangements order application or to discuss the potential legal costs of going to court for a child custody order. Call us or complete our online enquiry form . We can set up a video conference, skype or telephone appointment so you can speak to an experienced Cheshire children law solicitor from anywhere in the world.

Is family arbitration the best option to reach a financial agreement? If you are going through a separation or divorce during the latest COVID-19 lockdown you will undoubtedly be worried about how you will reach a financial agreement with your ex-husband, ex-wife or former partner.  You may also be concerned about rising infection rates and your safety in physically attending a financial court hearing. Alternatively, you may be worried about delays in achieving a court date because of the impact of COVID-19 on the family court system. In this blog we look at whether family arbitration is the best option to reach a financial agreement if you are splitting up in lockdown. What is family arbitration? Many couples who are in the process of splitting up have not heard about family arbitration. That's because couples tend to reach a financial agreement through solicitor negotiations, financial court proceedings or family mediation or a combination of the three options.   In family arbitration you and your partner jointly appoint a family arbitrator. The job of the arbitrator is to make a financial settlement decision. That decision will be final and binding on both of you.   A family arbitrator is therefore like a private judge of the family court as both have the authority to decide on what is a fair financial settlement and make a binding decision.   What decisions can a family arbitrator make? A family arbitrator can be asked to decide a financial settlement or a property disputes or some children issues arising from either a married or an un-married family relationship.   What are the advantages of family arbitration during the COVID-19 lockdown? The advantages of family arbitration apply generally, whether the UK is in lockdown or not. However, the global pandemic emphasises some of the real benefits of family arbitration such as: You can arrange an arbitration hearing in a place that is convenient to both of you and even online if you prefer. You may feel more comfortable in attending the venue for an arbitration meeting instead of going to a family court for a financial settlement hearing When choosing a family arbitrator, you can check their availability and timescale to hold a family arbitration hearing. If you start financial settlement court proceedings, you don’t get that luxury as you just have to accept court and judge availability and that can be impacted by COVID-19 The use of family arbitration can be more discreet and confidential than traditional court proceedings One family arbitrator will make all decisions, so you won’t experience having as series of court hearings with different family judges You and your partner can adapt the family arbitration process to suit your circumstances so, for example, you could agree that you don’t need a directions hearing or that you want the family arbitrator to have a specific type of family bundle of papers and documents to help make their decision, whereas family court rules on paperwork in financial settlement proceedings are far more prescriptive.   Is family arbitration suitable for everyone splitting up in lockdown? In some situations, family arbitration isn’t suitable. For example, if you need an injunction order to stop your husband or wife from selling off or transferring assets to try and defeat and thwart your financial settlement claims.   Alternatively, family arbitration may not be suitable if you need third party disclosure, for example, from a trust fund or a relative, and they won’t provide disclosure or cooperate in the family arbitration process.   Will a financial settlement be different if family arbitration is used rather than financial court proceedings? Whether you use financial court proceedings or family arbitration to reach a financial settlement the family court judge or family arbitrator will exercise their discretion when determining what financial court order or arbitration award to make.   When a family law judge or family arbitrator exercises their discretion, they do so using the factors set out in the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. This means that the financial court order or family arbitration award should be within the same range or band of reasonable orders whether court proceedings or family arbitration is used by you to reach a financial resolution. [related_posts] What is the arbitration process? If you decide that you want to use family arbitration to reach a financial settlement it is important that both you and your spouse or partner understand the arbitration process.   The arbitration process is as follows: An application form is completed. The form is referred to as an ARB-1 The family arbitrator’s fees are agreed. Whilst you will need to pay a family arbitrator the family arbitration process may nonetheless be cheaper than traditional court proceedings because you may be able to conclude the arbitration process more efficiently and without the need for as many hearings There is a family arbitration directions hearing. This type of hearing looks at preliminary matters. If a husband and wife agree that this type of hearing is not necessary, then this can be avoided. Alternatively, the preliminary issues could be dealt with by solicitors and the family arbitrator by email. Family arbitration gives more flexibility than a financial court order application over the financial settlement process There is an arbitration hearing. The hearing could take place online because of concerns about rising infection rates and COVID-19 or could be facilitated at a solicitor’s office or at a neutral venue, such as the offices of the family arbitrator. In some cases, a husband and wife may agree that the family arbitrator should make their decision solely based upon reading the paperwork supplied. After either reading the documentation or listening to the husband, wife or partner the family arbitrator will make a decision, called an award. This is a binding decision The court will be asked to make a financial court order in accordance with the terms of the family arbitration award. A formal order is normally needed in a financial family arbitration to implement the family arbitration award. There is a fast track court procedure available to quickly convert an award into a court order.   If you want more information about family arbitration and how it may help you and your partner reach a financial settlement during the COVID-19 imposed lockdown then it's best to speak to specialist divorce and financial settlement solicitors about arbitration and your options. Our Manchester and Cheshire divorce solicitors The friendly team of specialist divorce solicitors at Evolve Family Law can provide legal help with your separation and divorce proceedings, as well as your financial settlement. For all your family and private client law needs call Evolve Family Law or complete our online enquiry form.   The Evolve Family Law offices are located in Whitefield, North Manchester and Holmes Chapel, Cheshire but we also offer remote meetings by appointment by video call or telephone.

Child custody and contact is a tricky topic whatever the legal status of the parents of a child. For example, the parents could be unmarried and have never lived together, be a former cohabiting couple, married or divorced or in a civil partnership. In this blog we look at who has custody of a child when the parents aren’t married. Who has custody of a child? UK children law doesn’t give a parent custody of their child automatically by virtue of being a parent, whether you are an unmarried or married parent. However, if custody is in dispute, either parent can apply to court for a child arrangements order.   A child arrangements order is a bit like the old custody and contact orders as a child arrangements order sets out the person the child should live with and the contact arrangements with the other parent or other extended family members.   A child arrangements order can be very flexible and can say that there should be equal or shared parenting or, at the other extreme, the court order can say that one parent should have no contact or only indirect or supervised contact with the child.   When making a child arrangements order the court will make an order that the family law judge thinks is in your child’s best interests. The judge will consider arrange of factors when making his or her decision. These factors are known as ‘the welfare checklist’. The checklist includes looking at your child’s wishes and feelings in light of your child’s age and understanding as well as assessing how capable each parent is of meeting your child’s physical and emotional needs.   When considering the welfare checklist and what specific child arrangements order to make the court won't consider the legal status of the parent’s relationship as a very relevant factor in the decision making process. That is because the test for what child arrangements order to make, and who should get custody, is based on what is in your child’s best interests rather than the status of the parent’s relationship.   In today’s age, family judges are of the view that whether you are a married mother or father or unmarried the issue for the court to determine is what custody and contact order best meets a child’s needs. A mother and father may have been in an unmarried relationship for many years and whilst you may think that in that scenario the mother will have more ‘’rights’’ over their child a judge will make a child arrangements order, setting out the custody and contact, that he or she thinks will meet the needs of the child. For example, if the father is a loving father who has always enjoyed a close relationship with the child a shared care order may be appropriate. On the other hand, if one parent has either been physically or emotionally abusive towards the child then this would be a reason to give custody of the child to the other parent and to stop or limit the contact to the other parent. [related_posts] When it comes to children law the court looks at things from the perspective of what is best for the child and in the child’s interests. That consideration does not pay a lot of heed to whether you are married or unmarried or in a civil partnership but instead focusses on your child and their characteristics and needs. Accordingly, in the court’s eyes, it is far more important that a parent wants and is able to commit to a long term relationship with their child after a parental separation than the legal status of the parental relationship.   If you are a parent engaged in a custody or contact dispute then children law solicitors will recommend that you don’t focus on the status of your relationship with the other parent and instead focus on your child’s needs and best interests. That way the court is far more likely to be persuaded to make the type of child arrangements order that you are seeking. How can Evolve Family Law help? At Evolve Family Law we recognise that every family is different and we therefore welcome calls to discuss how we can help your family, whether it is an application for a parental responsibility order or a child arrangements order or to discuss the potential legal costs of going to court for a child custody order. Call us or complete our online enquiry form . We can also set up a video conference, skype or telephone appointment so you can speak to an experienced Cheshire children law solicitor from anywhere in the world.

It can be very difficult to know where to start if you are thinking about ending a marriage or separating from your partner. In this article we answer some of your frequently asked questions on how to start a separation. How do I separate? You may think the answer to the question ‘’how do I separate?’’ is self-evident - you leave or you pack your partner’s bags and make them leave the family home. However, family solicitors will tell you that both life and family law are more complicated than that. One of the difficulties with answering the question ‘’how do I separate?’’ is that every person’s personal and financial circumstances are different. It is therefore essential that you get family law legal advice that is tailored to you. Here are just a few examples of why that is best to get legal advice on your circumstances: You may be in an unmarried relationship and renting a property - if you leave the property because your partner refuses to go then you may remain liable for the rent if the tenancy agreement was taken out in your name If you are from overseas and in the UK on a family visa (such as a spouse visa or a fiance visa) your separation may affect your immigration status so it is important to clarify that before you separate If you plan to return home overseas with your children then you may need your spouse or partner’s written agreement or a children court order before you can take your children out of the UK. Without that agreement or court order you could be accused of child abduction under UK children law and international family law. You could be forced to return the children back to the UK so it is best to take legal advice on child relocation law if you plan to take your children abroad after your separation If you leave the family home then your husband or wife may have no incentive to reach a financial settlement with you because they are in the house and won't want to either sell it or pay you your share of the equity in the family home. If your partner refuses to leave and you are in an abusive relationship then you may have the grounds to apply for an injunction order to make your partner leave the property until you or the court makes long term decisions about whether the property should be sold or whether one of you should live in it If you are in an unmarried relationship and the property is owned in the sole name of your partner you may think that you have no legal rights and have no option but to leave. However you may have an equitable interest in the property. In addition, if you have young children you may be able to bring a housing claim (called a schedule 1 Children Act application by family lawyers) for the provision of a house for the children If you leave the family home and the mortgage is in your joint names you remain jointly and severally liable to pay the mortgage. If the mortgage isn’t paid then this will affect the credit rating of you and your partner and it may impact on your ability to get another mortgage. It is best to reach an agreement on the mortgage payments if you are leaving the family home and will have the added expense of renting a property You want to stay at the family home with the children but your partner says they won't help out financially so you are the one who thinks that they have to leave. In your circumstances, you may be able to ask the Child Maintenance Service to award you child support and, if you are married, you may also be able to apply to court for spousal maintenance. [related_posts] Starting a separation Whatever your personal or financial circumstances starting a separation is never an easy decision. Alternatively a separation may have been foisted on you by the decision or behaviour of your partner. If you are the one who is taking the decision to separate it is best to talk to a friend or family member or therapist to help you make the right decision for you. Family law legal advice will make sure that you know your legal options and the best choices for you and your family when it comes to the decision of whether you should be the one to leave the family home and the timing of your separation. Manchester and Cheshire Family Law Solicitors Evolve Family Law advises on separation, divorce proceedings, financial arrangements on separation, long term financial settlements, child custody and contact and private client matters (Wills and powers of attorney).   For legal assistance with your family and private client law needs call Evolve Family Law or complete our online enquiry form. The Evolve Family Law offices are located in Whitefield, North Manchester and Holmes Chapel, Cheshire but the family law solicitors and Will lawyers also offer remote meetings by telephone or video call appointment.

Although child maintenance sounds obvious it isn’t as many parents question what child maintenance is for. In this blog we look at the topic of child maintenance and discuss what child support is for.   What is Child Maintenance? Some parents take a very narrow view of what child support is (pocket money and birthday presents) whereas other parents think that child maintenance should cover all the household outgoings (the mortgage, heating costs, the food bill for everyone in the house as well as holidays). Child maintenance solicitors say that there is official guidance on what child maintenance is for. The government says that child maintenance is ‘financial support towards your child’s everyday living costs when you’ve separated from the other parent’.   The government definition of child maintenance doesn’t really drill down into what child maintenance covers but child support solicitors question how relevant that is when the bottom line is that child maintenance is calculated by the Child Maintenance Service based on the paying parent’s income rather than the child’s everyday living costs. The Child Maintenance Service formula means the paying parent has to pay a percentage of their income in child maintenance, whether or not the child maintenance figure is less or more than the child’s everyday living costs.   There are some exceptions and cases where a child’s everyday living costs are more relevant when calculating how much should be paid in child maintenance. These include: Both parents want to agree a figure for child maintenance based on the child’s needs rather than using the Child Maintenance Service mathematical formula The parent paying child support has received a maximum child maintenance assessment from the Child Maintenance Service and the parent receiving the child support has applied to court for top-up child maintenance. Top up child maintenance is based on a child’s needs. The court will look at the standard of living enjoyed by the family before the relationship breakdown when assessing the figure for top up child support (for example, swimming lessons, tennis coaching , piano tuition and other child related expenditure) The child suffers from a disability and has specific additional costs associated with their disability. The parent receiving the child maintenance can apply to court for an order to help cover the additional costs (for example, equipment or treatment not available on the National Health Service) The child is being privately educated or a parent wants the child to go into private education and makes an application to court for a school fees order to cover the cost of private school fees and extras (for example, extra tuition or school ski trips) The very limited circumstances in which the family court retains jurisdiction to make a child maintenance order. Although, in these situations the court will look at the amount of child maintenance that would have been payable had the Child Maintenance Service had jurisdiction to make a child maintenance assessment.   Can a parent say what their child maintenance should pay for? When one parent is paying child maintenance to the other parent it isn’t uncommon for the parent paying child maintenance to be highly critical of the other parent’s expenditure and use of the child support. For example, they may criticise the quality of the child’s clothing or dietary choices. In other scenarios, parents have been known to expect the parent receiving the child support to provide everything for the child during contact visits because the other parent is receiving child maintenance.   Child support solicitors recommend that parents try to resolve child maintenance by agreement with the help of their family solicitors before making an application to the Child Maintenance Service for a child maintenance assessment. Negotiations mean parents can each take into account the other’s circumstances when reaching an agreement on the level of payment of child support.   What is not covered by child maintenance? It is just as important to understand what isn’t covered by child maintenance as it is to understand what child maintenance is for.   Child maintenance from the Child Maintenance Service doesn’t cover: Child maintenance for step-children. An application to court can be made for child support for step-children School fees for the costs of private education. An application to court can be made for a school fees order. The court can order that a parent pays all the school fees or a proportion of them. [related_posts] How does spousal maintenance fit in with child maintenance? Many people question what child maintenance is for because they have been ordered to pay child maintenance by the Child Maintenance Service and ordered to pay spousal maintenance by the court.   When the Child Maintenance Service assess how much should be paid in child maintenance they use a strict mathematical formula that doesn’t take into account an ex-spouse’s spousal maintenance or other sources of income. However, when the court is assessing how much spousal maintenance should be paid the judge will take into account: The ability of the paying spouse to pay spousal maintenance taking into account their child maintenance liability as assessed by the Child Maintenance Service The reasonable future income and outgoings of each spouse The earnings capacity of each spouse and whether that will change, for example, through vocational training or because of ill health Whether there is a shortfall in one spouse’s income taking into account their reasonable income and outgoings, the payment of child maintenance and earnings capacity and, if so, taking into account factors such as the length of the marriage or capital distribution, decide if spousal maintenance should be paid and, if so, for how long.   Negotiating child support and spousal maintenance can be complicated so it is best to take legal advice on your options and the range of likely orders that a court would make if either you or your ex-spouse were to either apply to court for spousal maintenance or for an order to reduce or increase the amount of spousal maintenance payable. An application can be made to vary spousal maintenance because of a change in the payer or payee’s financial or other circumstances. Manchester and Cheshire Child Maintenance Solicitors If you need advice on calculating or paying or receiving child maintenance or need help with negotiating a financial settlement or sorting out child custody after your separation or divorce then the child maintenance solicitors at Evolve Family Law can help you. Call us or complete our online enquiry form. Our offices in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire and Whitefield, Manchester are open for face to face meetings, however an appointment is required. We also offer remote meetings by appointment by video call or telephone for those who prefer not to travel.

As well as being asked questions by fathers about whether they have parental responsibility and, if not, how they can get it we are also asked the question ’how do you remove parental responsibility from a father? In this blog we look at the topic of parental responsibility and how a father can lose it.   ​Who has parental responsibility for a child? Many parents don’t know if they have parental responsibility for their child or not so before we look at whether a father can lose parental responsibility for their child it is best to first look at who has parental responsibility and what it means to share parental responsibility.   Mothers automatically have parental responsibility for their child. That means that if the child’s father also has parental responsibility then the responsibility has to be shared. With fathers it is a bit more complicated. The law says that a father has parental responsibility for his child if: The father is married to the child’s mother The father was married to the child’s mother but they are now separated, getting divorced or divorced If the parents are unmarried and the child was born after the 1 December 2003 and the father is named on the child’s birth certificate If the parents are unmarried and the mother has agreed to the father having parental responsibility for the child and they have signed a parental responsibility agreement If the parents are unmarried and the father has successfully applied for a parental responsibility order from the family court.   What does it mean to share parental responsibility with a father? Understanding what parental responsibility means is vital before you can look at what is involved in sharing parental responsibility with your ex-partner.   Parental Responsibility is defined as the obligations and responsibilities a parent (or anyone else who has parental responsibility) has for a child. If you have parental responsibility for your child then you have: A say in major parenting decisions, such as, the choice of new school or whether your young child should follow a vegan diet or be brought up in a specific faith  The right to receive certain information, such as school reports or copy medical records The ability to consent on behalf of your child, for example, consent to medical treatment for a child who isn’t old enough to give informed consent.   How do you share parental responsibility with a father? It can be difficult to share parental responsibility for a child, particularly if: You are the one who carries out all the day to day care of the child The other parent is working but won't provide financial maintenance or child support The other parent doesn’t want to see the child or only does so infrequently at times to suit them You and the other parent have different parenting styles and approaches to parenting You had an acrimonious separation or there was domestic violence within your relationship You think that your ex is only using their parental responsibility to try and control you or to annoy you and isn’t really interested in the child and what is in their best interests.   How do you remove parental responsibility from a mother? The law says that a mother of a child can only lose parental responsibility for her child if the child is adopted. The law is different when it comes to fathers losing parental responsibility for their child.   How do you remove parental responsibility from a father? If a father is or was married to the child’s mother then he has automatic parental responsibility for the child and the mother can't apply to court to remove the father’s parental responsibility. However, the mother can apply to the family court for other orders such as a child arrangements order or a specific issue order or a prohibited steps order.   If an unmarried father has obtained parental responsibility for his child by signing a parental responsibility agreement or by a parental responsibility court order then an application can be made to court to remove his parental responsibility for his child.   The court won't stop a father’s parental responsibility for his child just because of a parental separation or because the father has moved away with work or doesn’t see his child on a regular basis or has committed a criminal offence or isn’t paying child support.   The law says that a family law judge must only terminate a father’s parental responsibility for the child if: The circumstances are exceptional and The termination of parental responsibility is thought by the judge to be in the child’s best interests. [related_posts] Applying to court to remove a father’s parental responsibility It is best to take specialist legal advice from a Cheshire children law solicitor before applying to court to remove a father’s parental responsibility because a court will only remove a father’s parental responsibility if the circumstances are exceptional. Whilst you may struggle to get an order to remove a father’s parental responsibility you may be successful in securing another type of children law order that will resolve the difficulties you are experiencing. Available orders include: A child arrangements order A specific issue order A prohibited steps order.   Although these children law orders do not remove a father’s parental responsibility for his child they can significantly limit the father’s involvement in the child’s upbringing provided that the court concludes that this type of order is best for the child. For example, a child arrangements order can stop direct contact between father and child or a prohibited steps order can stop a father attending a child’s school or nursery or an injunction order can stop the father coming to your home address.   An experienced children law solicitor will talk to you about whether a court application is in your best interests and your alternative options, such as a round table meeting or legal support during family mediation.   What behaviour by a father will terminate parental responsibility? To terminate a father’s parental responsibility for his child you will need to make a court application and the judge will assess whether the father’s behaviour is exceptional and justifies the termination of his parental responsibility as the order is in your child’s best interests.   If you are worried about how your ex is using his parental responsibility then it is best to take legal advice so that you know where you stand and whether a court application to remove parental responsibility from the father is the best way forward for you. We are Manchester and Cheshire children law solicitors For advice about children law,  parental responsibility, child custody or making a child arrangements order application call Evolve Family Law solicitors or complete our online enquiry form . We offer appointments at our offices in Holmes Chapel Cheshire and Whitefield North Manchester or we can set up a video call or telephone appointment for you.

Families come in all different shapes and sizes and don’t just comprise the standard mum, dad and 2.4 children. Many of us joke that we would like to adopt a neighbour as a grandparent but in some families there is a real desire to adopt an adult, often because a step-parent wants to formally recognise their adult step-child or a parent wants to offer a home to a young adult following the death of the child’s parents or their alienation from their biological parents. In this blog we look at whether you can adopt an adult. Can you adopt an adult in the UK? Under UK law you can't adopt an adult, whatever the motivation for your desire to adopt.  UK adoption law says that the child who is the subject of the adoption application must be: Under the age of eighteen at the time that the adoption order application is made and Unmarried and not in a civil partnership (and never been in such a relationship). Sometimes people want to adopt a teenage relative from overseas or a young adult, thinking that adoption is a way of uniting the family in the UK.  Adoption of a child nearing the age of eighteen is technically possible but adoption solicitors recommend that specialist immigration law advice is taken before you proceed. [related_posts] What are the alternatives if you can't adopt an adult? As UK adoption law says that you can't adopt anyone over the age of eighteen what are the alternatives to the making of an adoption order?   Some relatives of young people assume that they will be able to apply to the family court for a child arrangements order as an adoption order isn’t an option. However, UK children law says that a child arrangements order expires when a child reaches the age of eighteen and that an application for a child arrangements order should only be made in exceptional circumstances where a child is aged between sixteen and eighteen at the time of the court application.   If children court orders aren’t the solution then practical options include: If having the same surname is important to both of you, the person you would like to adopt can change their name to your family name by deed poll You can financially protect the person that you would like to adopt by making a Will and leaving a legacy or share of your estate to them. If you do not make a Will then they won't be entitled to receive anything from your estate under intestacy rules if they are not closely biologically related to you and they haven’t been adopted by you If the person you wanted to adopt wants to look after you then you can appoint them as an attorney in your Lasting Power of Attorney If the person you would like to adopt doesn’t have capacity to make their own decisions (for example because of physical or mental impairment) you can ask the high court to make a declaratory order setting out with whom the person should live and have contact with. The high court only has the power to make this type of declaratory order in relation to an adult over the age of eighteen if the adult doesn’t have the capacity to make his or her own decisions.   If you would like to adopt an adult but realise that isn’t an option under UK law the best thing that you can do for the adult that you would like to adopt is to put your affairs in order and make sure that your paperwork, such as your Will and Lasting Power of Attorney , accurately reflects your wishes. Sadly, if you don’t sort out your Will and any associated paperwork the likelihood is that not only will you not be able to adopt your adult loved one but they may not benefit from your estate if you pass away. Preparation and paperwork is therefore essential to protect your loved ones. ​ How can Evolve Family Law adoption solicitors help? At Evolve Family Law our specialist children and adoption solicitors can answer your questions about children and adoption law and help you with all your private client and Will needs. Call us or complete our online enquiry form . We can set up a meeting, video conference, skype or telephone appointment with one of our specialist solicitors.