Children Matters

Because some things are more important...

If you are looking for a solicitor to deal with your family problem or dispute and it concerns a child or your children, then you will want to have support and advice from a firm of solicitors you can trust. At McKinnells Family Law we have legal advisors who specialise in children law, have been accredited by Resolution and are members of the Law Society's Children Panel.

We aim to resolve children matters as amicably as possible, attempting to remove as much of the stress as possible by encouraging negotiation and mediation as a means of settling matters. If those issues cannot be resolved, and an application has to be made to Court, the Court considers what is in the best interests of the child.

The orders which can be applied for include:

• Residence orders - determines who the child lives with.
• Contact orders - determine how much contact the child has with the person applying for contact.
• Prohibited Steps Order - an order preventing something from happening, for example an order to prevent one parent removing the child from the jurisdiction.
• Specific Issue Order - an order dealing with a certain issue that has arisen, for example, a dispute as to which school a child should go to.
• Parental Responsibility Order - an order giving unmarried fathers legal rights over their children.

Whilst encouraging conciliation and mediation, the Family team at McKinnells has extensive experience in successfully representing clients in difficult contested court cases involving children including care cases as well as financial disputes. To strengthen our department we also have a Solicitor/ Advocate with the same rights of audience as barristers in all courts up to the Supreme Court.

Dependant on your particular situation, we will advise you on the most appropriate application to take, will prepare all necessary paperwork and ensure you are represented at the various hearings. We're on your side and will work to achieve the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Matters such as housing, debt, company law, tax and Trust issues are often relevant within a family environment and Mckinnells are able to call upon a wide range of expertise from within the firm as a whole to assist you where necessary.

Meet the Family Law team...