Family Law Solicitors

Family issues involving children are particularly stressful, but we make sure that everyone involved in these proceedings shares the same goal: to keep the children’s wellbeing at the heart of every decision. 

We can provide impartial and sensitive advice to families on safety concerns, child welfare, and disputes, while respecting the most important principle: putting the children involved first.

We know how frightening it can be when social services and the local authority become involved with your family matters.

We have a number of solicitors who are members of the Law Society’s Children Panel, a specialist panel of solicitors who have received extensive training in the representation of both children and their parents.

We are experienced in representing parents where the local authority applies for orders in respect of their children.

This includes situations where children are removed from their parents’ care, as well as adoption cases.

We give a lot of advice to carers, a year after Care Proceedings end, where a child is placed in a family/friend’s placement or foster placement, where we offer advice to the carer on obtaining a Special Guardianship Order for permanence of the child with them.

We can also advise and assist friends and other family members who have been put forward by parents as alternative carers for their children, but who have been negatively assessed by the local authority, by challenging those assessments in Court.

We have significant experience representing children in proceedings directly or through their Court-appointed Guardian, and we work hard to make sure children are protected throughout.

Learn more on our Care Proceedings page.

Our family law solicitors can also support parents during PLO meetings.

These meetings are arranged by the local authority to see whether the local authority’s concerns about the care given to children by their parents can be resolved without the need to start court proceedings.

Learn more about how we can help on our PLO page.

We are experienced in providing sensitive advice and support to those involved in domestic abuse cases.

Our team can help with applying for protective orders such as Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders.

We will also stand by you in defending such applications where false allegations are made.

We know that these proceedings can be extremely difficult, and we will do everything we possibly can to bring clarity and ensure the process is as smooth as possible.

See our Domestic Abuse page for more information.

If the local authority has removed children from the care of their parents, they may seek to have the children placed for adoption where there are no other options for them to be cared for within their family. 

In cases such as these, our experienced family law solicitors can help ensure the local authority has properly considered all available options to prevent unnecessary interference with the right to private family life.

If a child is raised by their step-parent in the absence of a biological parent, it may be in the child’s best interests for them to be legally recognised as a child of the step-parent. This can help the child have a secure sense of identity. 
If this is the case, we can support you in preparing an adoption application and ensuring everything is done correctly, with as little delay as possible, while providing you with clarity every step of the way.

Our family law specialists know how frightening child abduction cases are, and we are here to assist with recovering children who have been removed from the jurisdiction unlawfully as quickly as possible.

Where there are concerns that this could happen again, we will work hard to prevent it and bring you peace of mind.

We’re able to assist clients at very short notice, including same-day hearings, subject to solicitor availability.