Child Care Services in Nottingham
At Cartwright King, we are proud of our child care service in Nottingham; having been recognised as a Legal 500 listed law firm, our solicitors’ hard work and quality has received the recognition it deserves. With an excellent reputation across all legal sectors, our solicitors are able to provide our clients with a high calibre of legal advice, improving their chances of a successful outcome.
Child care proceedings come with heightened emotions and our solicitors are here to help take the weight off your shoulders, managing all pressured deadlines and the collation of evidence. We will be able to act in your and your child’s best interests, giving you a voice throughout the case.
Our child care solicitors have an unrivalled level of understanding of all Child Law and Advanced Family Law matters. You can rest assured that they will work tirelessly to ensure every option is explored when following your case through to completion.
We are able to adapt to your needs, making ourselves available when you need us, whether that be virtually through video meetings and telephone consultations or via an in-person meeting at our Nottingham office.
Call our child care solicitors on 0115 958 7444 or send an online enquiry form to book your FREE, no-obligation telephone consultation.
How Cartwright King’s Solicitors can help you
No matter why you require our solicitor’s support, Cartwright King’s child care team have a successful portfolio of cases that includes:
Our Solicitors Will Support Child Care Arrangements
Child Arrangements
Divorce and separation can be a difficult time and adding children to the mix only increases the emotional strain on everyone involved. If you are undergoing a divorce or separation from a partner, our child care solicitors can help you come to an agreement on your children’s living arrangements.
A Child Arrangement Order is a process that completes with a document that states where your child will live, naming another adult that they are able to visit, stay overnight with and contact. It is applicable to all children up until the age of 17. With the help of your solicitor, they can present your case calmly to the Judge, improving your chances of keeping your children.
Our child care solicitors can also offer their assistance in creating a parenting plan between you and your ex-partner, avoiding the situation escalating to court.
Parental Responsibility Orders
A child’s biological mother will have parental responsibility for their child automatically; however, other adults may find themselves in the position where they need to apply for the parental rights of a child. Often, this process is undertaken by fathers who are not married or in civil partnerships.
The child’s welfare will remain at the heart of the court’s priority when reviewing an application, but your solicitor will be able to use their years of experience to improve your application’s chances of success.
Child Maintenance
When parents separate, both still have a financial responsibility to provide for the child’s upbringing and maintenance. There are two ways this payment can be arranged, voluntary and casually between the parents or formally with the use of a third party.
After particularly turbulent separations, voluntary payments are not always possible or appropriate. Using a Child Maintenance Service to oversee the arrangements of a set payment, therefore, is required.
However, if the other parent defaults on their payments and becomes difficult to deal with, our solicitors can advise you on the best course of action. We can guide you through the process to enforce the maintenance payments, helping you gain the necessary funds to raise your children.
Child Protection
If you ever have reason to question the safety of your child, it is paramount you inform a child care solicitor. Similarly, if you believe the child’s other parent is looking to take them out of the country, contact your solicitor. They will be able to implement the necessary processes to ensure your child is safe.
Adoption
Our child care solicitors in Nottingham are also experienced in supporting people who wish to adopt a child, helping them undergo all the necessary evaluations and legal processes. With a professional on your case, you will be able to improve the chances of your application being successful. Some adoption cases will be affected by previous legal cases, your solicitor will know how best to approach each stage.
Similarly, our child care team can help biological parents oppose adoption orders. They can represent your resistance against Place Orders, following the proper protocols and asking the court for ‘leave.’
Arrange A Free Introductory Consultation Today
Throughout your child care proceedings, you will work closely with your child care solicitor. To improve your chances of achieving the best possible result, it is paramount you have a good rapport with your representative. Your lawyer will be speaking on your behalf, presenting your case in a court of law; therefore, you must be able to put your trust in them.
At Cartwright King, we understand this importance and look to support our prospective clients in their decision of whether to appoint our solicitors. To help this, we offer a FREE no-obligation telephone consultation with the aim of:
- Gaining more information about your case
- Understanding your childcare arrangements
- Explaining the options available to your specific circumstances
We treat every complimentary consultation with complete discretion and confidentiality. Please use this opportunity to get to know our child care solicitors to assess whether their working practices suit you. If not, don’t worry, there is no expectation for you to appoint our legal experts.
*Please remember this conversation cannot include any legal advice or strategy. Instead, it is a chance for you to “get to know” our child care solicitors.
Why Choose Our Child Care Solicitors?
All of our child care solicitors in Nottingham will be there for you throughout the entirety of your proceedings. We understand how emotional these cases can be, that is why we make ourselves available for you whenever you need us. We will always conduct ourselves in a professional manner, with judgement and with respect.
No matter how complex your case, we will dedicate time and effort to ensure a high quality of service. Whether you are looking for support with a Child Arrangement Order or need help understanding your pre-proceedings letter; all our solicitors will take the time to explain each process to you.
The knowledge and expertise of Cartwright King solicitors have been accredited by the Law Society, giving our firm recognition as a Legal 500 firm. We can help you across all your child care soliciting needs.
Funding Of Child Care Soliciting Services
At Cartwright King, we offer an open and honest pricing structure that is competitive, with no hidden fees. We want everybody, regardless of the reason behind their needs, to be able to access high-quality legal support.
Our Nottingham Office
Our Nottingham office is located at Lock House, Wilford Street, Nottingham, NG2 1AG
Parking Facilities
We have on-site parking available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please ensure you park in the spaces designated for Cartwright King and, simply, log your car with the building’s receptionist.
If you are struggling for a space, there are also several car parks nearby. All are approximately 5 minutes from our door.
By Train
We are approximately a 5-minute walk from Nottingham station. You can find us by leaving the station via its main exit and turning right onto Carrington Street. Do not cross the canal; but, instead, turn left and walk along the southern side, passing the Magistrates’ Court on your left. Crossing over Wilford Street, you will see the red-bricked Lock House in front of you.
By Bus
There are plenty of bus routes in and around Nottingham, many of which stop outside Nottingham train station, dropping you a 5-minute walk away from our office.
The nearest bus stop will drop you outside Brewhouse Yard Museum on Castle Boulevard. This stop is a 3-minute walk away, turn right on Wilford Road crossing the canal to end up outside the red-bricked Lock House.
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Frequently asked questions.
What are the reasons behind the majority of child care proceedings?
The Local Authorities tend to look into a child’s care when there are known cases of the following circumstances:
- Neglect and mistreatment, especially in cases of physical abuse and even in alleged non-accidental injuries, including broken and fractured bones, as well as bruising
- Reports of sexual abuse, domestic violence and general abuse, including child sexual exploitation
- Misuse of drugs and alcohol
- Causes of mental health issues and emotional harm
- When there are known records of the shaken baby syndrome, subdural or retinal haemorrhages or developmental delay
- If there are learning difficulties or disabilities in the family
- When an Official Solicitor is involved
- If there is an international element to a case
What are the most common types of orders issued in child care proceedings?
When a Local Authority has concerns regarding a child’s care and welfare, their first course of action is to send a pre-proceedings letter outlining their concerns to the parents/guardians. This starts the pre-proceedings process. In instances where the PLO meeting does not see improvements, or if there are still concerns, the case will progress to court.
As the child care proceedings develop into a ‘public law’ case, the social services will suggest an order to the court to accompany the case. The order can be one of the following:
- Interim Care Order – the majority of child care proceedings are concluded with a temporary order. Allowing the court more time to gather and review evidence, an Interim Care Order gives the parents/guardians time to improve the child’s care in time for a Judge’s final assessment. During this time the child is often placed in foster care or with another family member; however, reasonable contact with their parents is encouraged.
- Interim Supervision Order – Throughout the court case, it can be agreed for a child to remain at home. When this is decided an Interim Supervision Order is ruled for the period of the proceedings. The family will continue to receive support from the social services throughout the agreed period.
- Supervision Order – an order which insists on the involvement of social services in the child’s care. The child will continue to reside with their parents; however, a social worker will advise, assist and support the family in the child’s care. A Supervision Order is initially implemented for 12 months, but it can be extended for an additional two years.
- Special Guardianship Order – this removes a child from their home address and places them with a Special Guardian after proceedings. The guardian gains all parental responsibility, taking on decisions regarding the child’s welfare. In most cases, the allocated guardian will be another family member or someone who is known to the family.
- Care Order – this order is more extreme and only used when a child has come to harm or is at risk of coming into harm. Under this ruling, the child is removed from their home address and placed with a foster family The responsibility for the child’s day-to-day welfare is placed with the Local Authority.
- Placement Order – accompanying a Care Order, this order sees the adoption process put into progress and the search for an appropriate adoptive family. The order enables the social services authority to place the child for adoption outside of the wider family circle. Once a suitable placement is found, an Adoption Order will follow.
- Police Powers of Protection – The police have the authority to remove a child from their home environment with special protective powers. These powers are only used when a child is at imminent risk of harm, and they only last for a maximum of 72 hours. Police protection can then be followed up with an Interim Care Order or Emergency Protection Order to further guarantee a child’s safety.
- Emergency Protection Orders – When a child is at risk of harm, a court may feel an Emergency Protection Order is needed to keep them safe. This order removes the child from the family for a maximum of eight days, handing the care of the child to the social services. It is possible to extend the order for a further seven days, but this is only carried out in extreme circumstances.
How long do child care proceedings take?
All proceedings aimed to be completed and resolved within six months (26 weeks) from when the first application was made.
Why do I need a specialist child care solicitor in Nottingham?
When parents and guardians are faced with Child Law Proceedings or Advanced Family Law Cases, the expertise and support of a child care solicitor are crucial. When there are questions or issues surrounding a child’s care and welfare, specific processes must be adhered to and these come hand-in-hand with legal jargon and protocols. In having a solicitor to guide you through, you can focus on your child and allow them to take care of all the pressured deadlines and collation of evidence. These can be extremely emotional times, having someone to explain the facts and take care of the process will stand you in good stead for a result that best suits your child’s needs.
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