There are services within the Local Authority to offer you Family Law advice and guidance, support communication between parents when that may be difficult, resolve issues of parent responsibility, residence contact and other issues such as schooling and relocation.

The Children and Families Act introduced in April 2014 has placed more emphasis on “parental responsibility”. Within the courts parental responsibility will now automatically fall to both parents of every child, and ensure that parents are fully and actively involved in the welfare and arrangements for their children to include time spent with each parent.

The expectation is that the best people to resolve the arrangements for their children are the parents as they know the best way forward for their children. The Court should always be the last resort.