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A Section 7 report is a written assessment prepared for the family court to help decide what’s best for a child when parents can’t agree. It’s usually carried out by a Cafcass Officer (Cafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service). The report gets its name from Section 7 of the Children Act 1989, which allows the court to request a professional evaluation of your child’s needs and the family situation. A court might order a Section 7 report when: ·   

It is very difficult to say how long it might take the court to resolve a private children dispute. This is because there are various hearings and reports that may or may not be needed. For example, you might want an Interim Hearing to discuss what contact should look like right now, before a final decision is made. You might need a Fact Finding Hearing so that the court can determine issues of fact before it decides on what the next steps should be. You might need Cafcass to

When a case about children is taken to the family court, the magistrates or judge have to make decisions about what to do in the best interests of your children. To do this, the court is required to consider the welfare checklist, which is set out at Section 1 of the Children Act 1989. The welfare checklist includes the following: The child’s wishes and feelings (considered in light of their age and understanding). ·       The court will consider the ascertainable wishes and

If you and your ex are having difficulty reaching an agreement about a specific matter affecting your child, you can try to reach a resolution in various ways.  For example, mediation (see my previous blog for more information), joint counselling, or speaking to a lawyer can help. If things reach a stalemate, the family court can intervene by making a Specific Issue Order (SIO) under Section 8 of the Children Act 1989. Commons reasons to apply for an SIO include: Education: D

If you and your ex agree about where your children will live, how often and when they will spend time with their non-resident parent, you do not have to complete any official paperwork. However, many separated couples find it helpful to write down what has been agreed in a Parenting Plan, so that the agreement they have come to is recorded clearly.

Resources for people who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse.

What is mediation? Mediation is a confidential, voluntary, and flexible process that helps people resolve disagreements with the help of a neutral third party. The third party, called a mediator, is impartial and does not take sides. The mediator's role is to help the parties involved find a solution they can all agree to.

The divorce process usually requires both you and your ex to take several actions. In brief, this involves submitting the divorce application, waiting for the 20-week 'cooling-off' period which starts once the divorce is issued, then applying for the Conditional Order. Six weeks and one day later you can apply for the Final Order.

Co-parenting after a divorce or separation involves working together to raise your children while prioritising their needs and well-being.

If you have decided that your marriage has come to an end, and you are ready to move onto getting a divorce, you can begin this process yourself, or arrange for a solicitor to handle it for you.