In matters involving children, the court prioritises the child’s best interests. They prefer families to find solutions without going to court.
If you need legal help to see your grandchildren, we can negotiate with the child’s parents or their legal representatives. If that doesn’t work, we can try mediation, where everyone discusses their options.
If mediation doesn’t work, you can ask the court for permission to request an order allowing you to see your grandchild. Usually, you need to try mediation first.
We’ll help you build a case, explaining why it’s best for your grandchild to spend time with you. Our experienced family law solicitors will ensure you have the best legal representation.
If you’re a grandparent seeking legal support to protect your rights and maintain your relationship with your grandchildren, contact us today.
Sometimes relationships between grandparents and parents break down and that results in children no longer spending time with members of their family. In such circumstances, it is important to seek legal advice as to what your rights are. A solicitor could send a letter on your behalf to see if matters can be resolved without going to Court.
You may want to try mediation to see if you can agree the arrangements with the help of an independent mediator.
Yes, if you cannot sort things out between you, or with mediation then you may need to apply to Court. The Court can make a Child Arrangements Order (previously known as Contact order) to say what time you should spend with your grandchild.
As a grandparent however, you first need to apply to Court for permission to make the application. Grandparents do not have an automatic right to apply to Court. The Court will decide whether allowing the grandparents to make the application will be in the child’s best interests.
Once this has been granted, the grandparent can apply to Court. The Court encourages people to try and reach an agreement, they might need to get the advice from CAFCASS who will do a report and advise the Court what should happen.
Legal aid is often not available in these types of cases, but it is important to check with a solicitor who can do an assessment.
If legal aid is not available, then GSB offer a range of fixed fee services to keep the costs transparent. Please make an appointment with a member of the team and they will be able to tell you more about it.