Children
The issue of what should happen regarding the care of the children and how often they should see the other parent is often the hardest area to agree upon. Everybody wants to see as much of their children as possible however this can be difficult when a relationship breaks down.
The most important thing is to ensure that the children suffer as little disruption as possible and that the children are not made aware of any areas of dispute. It is best if these issues can be resolved between the couple however this is not always possible Advice can be given regarding any issues to do with children including:
- Residence (previously known as custody) Where are the children going to live and with whom
- Contact (previously known as access) How often the children are going to see the absent parent, where will the contact take place, does it need to be supervised etc
- Specific issue orders. Can I take the children on holiday? Move out of the local area?
- Admission and exclusion of pupils from education establishments.
- Child maintenance
- Court proceedings.
The above is not exhaustive as there are so many areas that assistance may be required about regarding children.
Mediation referrals can be made if required and if matters cannot be resolved advice will be given regarding the court procedure and any necessary application to a court can be made.
Sometimes with issues relating to children all that is required is someone independent to assist the parties in finalising their agreement to enable them both to move forward and continue acting in their children’s best interests.
