Children Solicitors
Wolferstans has a team of lawyers who specialise in all the various legal issues relating to children.
Arrangements for children
We recognise that making arrangements for children following divorce and separation is often the most emotionally challenging issue to resolve. With our skills and experience of non-confrontational dispute resolution, we can usually help you to agree a positive way forward that protects your rights as a parent and also considers what is in your children’s best interests.
Clear Legal Guidance
Whether you’re separating, divorcing, or making child arrangements, we’ll explain your rights and help you make informed decisions. We understand that family matters are deeply personal and can be emotionally challenging.
Our experienced team will protect your interests, prioritise your children’s welfare, and guide you through each step with sensitivity and care. We’re here to support you throughout the entire process.
We can assist with all of the issues involved in making arrangements for your children following divorce and separation, including:
- Child Arrangement Orders
- Parental Responsibility
Here are some top tips to help minimise the impact of conflict on children whilst parents are separating. The video also explains the importance of why you should appoint a Resolution – first for family law member, to assist with your separation. Our Family Law team are all Resolution members and are here for you when you need us.
We are able to advise on:
- Arrangements for your child or children
- Parental Responsibility
- Social Services’ Involvement
- Financial Support for Children
- Special Guardianship Orders
- Relocating
- Changing a Child’s Name
Financial Support for Children
Getting the right financial support for your children is essential to make sure they have everything they need and that you do not end up in financial difficulties. Having specialist legal advice from the outset can help you to get the right financial support in place sooner and make sure you don’t miss out on anything your child is entitled to.
Our Family Law team can advise you on all of your options for getting the financial support you need for your child, including arranging child maintenance.
We can assist you to reach a voluntary agreement on child maintenance. This helps to make the process much easier by avoiding unnecessary conflict.
Child maintenance
If you are the primary carer for a child, you will often be able to claim some level of financial support from their other parent or anyone else with parental responsibility for the child. This can be done either with an informal agreement, by making an application through the Child Maintenance Service or in some circumstances, by applying to a family court for a financial order.
If child maintenance is agreed through an informal agreement, the details can be however you want them to be.
If you cannot agree financial support between yourselves, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) can help. The CMS took over from the Child Support Agency (CSA) in November 2013.
The CMS can assist by calculating how much maintenance should be paid and then the payments are normally made direct from the other parent.
If you are having difficulty in getting the maintenance from the other person, the CMS can help by getting the money paid to them which they then in turn pay to you. However, the CMS do charge a fee for this to both the person paying maintenance and to the person receiving it. The CMS can also help with enforcement if the money is not paid. The CMS encourage families to sort out the payments between themselves where possible.
How much child maintenance can you claim?
To see how much child maintenance you may be able to claim for your child or children, you can use the government’s simple online child maintenance calculator.
Child benefit
Anyone who is caring for a child long term can receive child benefit for the child, although if your income is above a certain level you may have to re-pay it at the end of the tax year.
Welfare benefits
You may be eligible for Welfare benefits such a Universal Credit.
Financial support from social services
If you apply for a Special Guardianship Order, Social Services have to consider what support you might need. This includes financial support, which is means tested. Usually, any financial support offered by Social Services is time limited and reviewed after 2 years.
Grandparents rights
Being a grandparent is a special role but sometimes things are not always straightforward. If your child faces changes in their relationship, or if there is a fall out in the family, you may wonder what will happen with your grandchildren.
You may be worried about whether you will still be able to have a relationship with your grandchildren, and it can be shocking to discover that you have no automatic rights to see your own grandchildren despite the role you may have previously played in their lives.
The court system does recognise in some situations orders are required to ensure these important relationships for children are preserved.
As a grandparent, you may also be asked to help care for your grandchildren if their own parents cannot do so for a variety of reasons. We have a specialist team of lawyers able to advise grandparents on the various issues involved in caring for grandchildren, including:
- Child Arrangement Orders
- Child Maintenance/Support for Grandparents
- Parental Responsibility
- Special Guardianship Orders
- Social Services
Useful Links:
Grandparents Association – A national charity supporting all grandparents and their families
Our accreditations and awards
