Children Law Solicitors in Scunthorpe and Goole

In the field of children law, there can be a minefield of terms and procedures which are not typically used on a day-to-day basis. Fortunately, our children's law solicitors in Scunthorpe and Goole are at hand to guide you through your case using simple and easy-to-understand language.

At Symes Bains Broomer, we understand that your main priority will always be to sort out matters involving your children as soon as possible and with minimal disruption.

Our team are members of Resolution, an organisation that believes in dealing with problems relating to family law in a sensible and sympathetic way, aiming to resolve your matter by way of correspondence, and then mediation if not successful, and through court proceedings as a last resort.

Despite legal aid being significantly reduced overall, it is available in very limited circumstances. Otherwise, we can ensure that we are cost-transparent and that you are fully informed of the anticipated costs and receive regular cost updates.

We have an experienced team who are able to provide advice and assistance on a range of areas including; where a child will live, declaration of parentage and DNA tests, being able to spend time with your children or other younger family members such as grandchildren, preventing a child being removed from your care, changing a child’s surname, moving out of the area or the UK and requesting parental responsibility such as for an unmarried father, step-parent or a guardian.

Speak to our children law solicitors in Scunthorpe and Goole

For expert advice and guidance about any issues you may have, get in touch with our children law solicitors in Scunthorpe or Goole. Alternatively, fill in our online enquiry form and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

Our individual services

Child arrangement orders

After the breakdown of any relationship, it’s of course important to make sure that all parental responsibilities are being carried out and that any children involved are receiving adequate care.

One aspect of this is deciding where children should live through a child arrangement order. This will ensure that your child’s arrangements are legally bound in order to protect the stability in their lives.

Terms such as ‘access’ and ‘custody’ have been replaced with ‘child arrangements’ to reflect a shift in the ideology of the law, which now focuses more on what is best for the child, rather than the parents’ wishes. There are many ways that a child arrangement order can be decided, and our team of expert child arrangement solicitors will be able to guide you through the entire process.

A child arrangement order is a court ruling that determines where a child will live and whom they will spend their time with. It can be granted to multiple people and can also be made between an unmarried couple. They also allow room for definition, such as allowing a child to live with both parents and deciding how that time is split up, be it equally or not.

Our child arrangement solicitors will be happy to assist you with the mediation process (which is mandatory before any court proceedings can begin). However, if negotiations prove difficult, we are also able to represent you in court whilst giving you sound legal advice to secure the best possible outcome for your family.

Child Maintenance Agreements

When two separated parents have children, the parent whom the child does not stay with the majority of the time is normally asked to pay child maintenance, which is to be used for the care and benefit of the child up until age 16 (20 if they continue full-time education).

If this parent refuses to pay maintenance, the Children’s Maintenance Service will almost certainly get involved and can potentially end up taking legal action against said parent, which can be incredibly stressful for all parties involved.

A way to avoid this is by drawing up a child maintenance agreement, which essentially sets the terms and conditions for how much will be paid each month and allows room for negotiation. We always recommend avoiding court proceedings, if possible, and this method does so in a manner that is often cheaper, quicker and far less stressful.

Our child maintenance agreement solicitors will be on hand to help mediate between you and your ex-partner, as well as dealing with any complex paperwork that needs to be completed. We will be by your side throughout the whole process and will work diligently to secure an amicable and positive outcome for you and your children.

If for some reason court proceedings become unavoidable, of course, we will be on hand to provide you with representation and expert guidance.

Grandparent’s rights disputes

Despite Grandparents often playing a vital role in a child’s life, many are often surprised to find out that they don’t have any automatic rights when it comes to having contact with their grandchildren, should their parents separate.

It’s important to note, however, that the court does recognise and place emphasis on the importance of a grandparent’s involvement in a child’s upbringing. There is also a legal process that you can follow in order to maintain contact with them.

Our family law solicitors can assist grandparents in obtaining access to their grandchildren. With our team of top experts, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

Parental responsibility

Parental responsibility is a legal concept that encompasses the duties, powers and responsibilities that a parent has to their child, this also includes the ability to give consent to medical treatment.

The consent of everyone who has parental responsibility is normally required before a child’s name is changed or they are taken out of the country, and having a parental responsibility agreement grants that right. Oftentimes, an unmarried father will not have automatic parental responsibility.

Having a parental responsibility agreement is often useful for:

An unmarried father whose child was born before 1^st December 2003.
Where an unmarried father whose child was born after 1^st December 2003 and is absent from the birth certificate.
When a couple marries, and one party has a child from a previous relationship.
In civil partnerships where either party already has children.

Same-sex parenting

Being a parent whilst in a same-sex relationship brings all the same joys and worries that any parent feels, as well as a few other aspects for your consideration. At Symes Bains Broomer, we are committed to making sure that your family has every legal security possible so that you and your children are always protected.

If you have children from a previous heterosexual relationship, have plans to adopt or are potentially considering surrogacy/sperm donation, there might be various legal details that you are unaware of. Our expert same-sex parenting solicitors have a collective wealth of experience in this field, and we will do our absolute best to make sure that both your and your children’s rights remain completely protected.

Other services

We also provide legal counsel for more niche topics, including but not limited to:

Parental alienation
Prohibited steps orders

To find out more about these services, please get in contact with one of our expert solicitors.