SP - Parental Responsibility - explaining a parent's legal rights and duties, how parental responsibility may be acquired, and giving tools to assist you in being involved in decisions about your children's lives

MSWord Letter Template – to the Local Education Authority - Finding your child’s school

MSWord Letter Template – to the school – Being involved in your child’s education – Chase up letter

MSWord Letter Template – to an Early Year’s Education Provider – Being involved in your child’s early years education

MSWord Letter Template – to the Primary Care Trust - Finding your child’s GP

MSWord Letter Template – to your child’s GP – Accessing your child’s medical information

SP - Step Parent Acquiring – Parental Responsibility - information on how a step-parent may acquire parental responsibility for their step-children

Mediation

SP - Mediation – our guide to the new procedures which come into force on 6^th April 2011. Essential reading for anyone contemplating applying to court and includes links to the new MSWord Form FM1

SP - Pre-action Protocol for Mediation Information and Assessment – parties will be expected to attempt mediation from 6 April 2011 prior to court proceedings

Making an Application to Court and Court Orders Explained

SP - Contact Orders - explaining what a contact order is, and how to make an application to the court

SP - Contact Orders – Warning Notices and Enforcement - information for non-resident parents to assist in applications to the court to enforce a contact order

SP - Emergency Protection Orders - a guide on applying to the courts directly if children are at risk of significant harm

SP - Family Assistance Orders - a type of order, where the court directs a welfare officer to assist the family

Paternity Testing - applying to the Court for a Court approved paternity test. New

SP - Prohibited Steps Orders - explaining what a prohibitive steps order is, and how to make an application to the court

SP - Recovery Order - a legal measure to assist in the recovery of children who have been unlawfully taken away from or withheld from the person who is responsible for them. New

SP - Residence Orders - explaining what a residence order is, and how to make an application to the court.

SP - Section 91.14 Orders - an order requiring named parties to seek the court's permission prior to making an application under the Children Act New

SP - Seek and Find Orders - explaining what a seek and find order is, and how to make an application to the court in circumstances where you wish to locate your children.

SP - Shared Residence - explaining shared residence, and how to apply to the court. Also see our detailed e-book

SP - Special Guardianship Orders - explaining SGOs, and likely to be of particular interest to grandparents, kinship and foster carers

SP - Specific Issue Orders - explaining what a residence order is, and how to make an application to the court.

The Legal Process – Under Construction – More guides being added

Tips when Attending Court – useful tips. New

Emergency Hearings – making emergency applications. New

First Hearing and Dispute Resolution Appointment – how to prepare for, and what to expect at the First Hearing in Court. New

Finding of Fact and Split Hearings – in production

Appeals – coming soon

Relocation Law

SP - Domestic Parental Child Abduction - what to do if your ex-partner takes the children and disappears

SP - Internal Relocation - legal information should your ex-partner decide to relocate and take the children with them

SP - Leave to Remove - legal information should your ex-partner decide to emigrate with the children – UPDATED 07.07.11

Case Law

SP - Interim and Supervised Contact Case Law – case law concerning both interim and supervised contact

SP - Internal Relocation Case Law - case law concerning relocation - now available for kindle.

SP - Leave to Remove Case Law  - case law concerning relocation abroad in family law - UPDATED 04.09.11 - now available for kindle.

SP - Parental Alienation Related Case Law – Case law for parents seeking to re-establish relationships with children alienated against them

SP - Paternity Testing Related Case Law and Legislation - Case law and legislation related to paternity testing - New

SP - Section 91.14 Related Case Law - Case law for parents faced with or considering an appeal against the granting or a s.91.14 order - New

SP - Shared Residence Case Law - case law concerning shared residence

SP - Wishes and Feelings Case Law – in relation to children’s wishes and feelings, parental alienation and adult determination of children’s needs.

Trying to read the Children Act 1989 on a smartphone? Need to refer to it at court? We've re-formatted it for smartphone users. Initially, we'll be providing Parts I &, II relating to private family law. The rest of the Children Act is coming soon in this format.

SP - Children Act 1989 - Part I - Welfare of the Child, Parental Responsibility, Appointment of Guardians, Guardians: revocation and disclaimer, Welfare reports.

SP - Children Act 1989 - Part II - S.8 Orders, Contact Activity and Enforcement Orders, Residence and Parental Responsibility, Change of Name and Removal from Jurisdiction, Special Guardianship, Orders for Financial Relief, Family Assistance Orders, Risk Assessments.

International Family Law Legislation and Protocol - New

SP - The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child or download as a pdf file

SP - The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or download as a pdf file

SP - Signatories to the Hague Convention

SP - The UK/Pakistan Protocol

SP - The Brussels II Revised Regulations European family law legislation including contact orders made the UK and their enforceability in other EU member states.

Reference

SP - Cafcass - the role of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service

SP - Court Fees - application fees for different types of court order

SP - Courts and Confidentiality - who you can discuss your court case with

SP - Courts and Judges - detailing the different types of courts and judges involved in private family law - NEW

SP - Dyslexia, Reasonable Adjustments and the Courts – essential reading if you have dyslexia and are about to become involved in legal proceedings

SP - Flexible Working - employment law, flexible working arrangements may be needed to support your parenting plan and contact/residence proposals

SP - Guidelines for Judges Meeting Children who are subject to Family Proceedings

SP - Instructing and Using a Solicitor – choosing and instructing solicitors

SP - President's Guidance in relation to Split Hearings

SP - Practice Directions – Court Bundles - court guidance on the preparation and presentation of information for the court

SP - Practice Directions - Residence & Contact Orders: Domestic Violence & Harm

SP - Practice Guidance – McKenzie Friends - guidance on the role of lay advisors in the family courts - now available for kindle.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

SP - Helping Children Cope     

SP - Managing Stress     

SP - Psychological Assessments including suggestions for letters of instruction

SP - Tips for Assessment Interviews

Preparing Documents for Court

SP - Writing a Skeleton Argument – information on what to include and structure

SP - Writing a Position Statement for Court – information on when to, what to include and structure.

SP - Writing a Statement for Court - Contact and Shared Residence cases – information on what to include and structure.

MSWord Template for a Position Statement – also see our guide on Writing a Position Statement

MSWord Template for a Statement – also see our guide on Writing a Statement for Court - Contact and Shared Residence cases

MSWord Template for an Index to a Court Bundle

MSWord Template for a Summary for a Court Bundle

MSWord Template for a Chronology for a Court Bundle

MSWord Template for a Statement of Issues for a Court Bundle

MSWord Template for a Skeleton Argument - also see our guide on Writing a Skeleton Argument

MSWord Template for a Scott Schedule

Court Application Forms (in PDF Format)

C100 – For ‘Section 8 Orders’ (For Contact Orders, Residence Orders, Shared Residence, Prohibited Steps Orders, and Specific Issue Orders)

C1 – For Parental Responsibility Orders; OR For Emergency Protection Orders (form C11 must also be completed); OR For an Application for a Special Guardianship Orders (form C13A must also be completed); OR For Contact with a Child in Care (form C15 must also be completed); OR For Recovery Orders (form C18 must also be completed)

C1A – Supplemental form, if there is a concern that you or the children have been subject to violence, neglect or abuse, and if the police or social services have been involved with the family for abuse/neglect/violence.

C2 – To apply for you want to apply for a further court order when proceedings have already commenced, or if you wish to be added or removed as a party.

C3 - an application to authorise a search for, taking charge of, and the return of a child.

C4 - sometimes called a 'Seek and Locate' or Seek and Find Orders, is an application for an order to disclose a child's whereabouts.

C8 – supplemental form if you wish to keep your address confidential.

C68 - Application for international transfer of jurisdiction to or from England and Wales.

C69 - Application for registration, recognition or non recognition of a judgment under Council Regulation (EC) 2201/2003, typically used when seeking to have a judgment made in another European member state recognised in the UK related to matrimonial matters and matters of parental responsibility.

C78 – To attach a warning notice to a contact order

C79 – To enforce a contact order

C(PRA1) – Parental Responsibility Agreement between biological parents (see also our guide on Parental Responsibility)

C(PRA2) – Parental Responsibility Agreement to confer PR on a step-parent (see also our guide on Step Parents and Parental Responsibility)

C(PRA3) – Parental Responsibility Agreement between a mother and her same sex partner.