Child arrangements and help from Mckenzie friend 30 years of experience 

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    High-Conflict Complex Child Custody & Financial Disputes When You Need Expertise.
    With over 30 years of successful experience in some of the most demanding cases
    Highly Experienced Professional McKenzie Friend – Family Court Support

    📞 Call: 07878 896044 or Prefer WhatsApp Wifi Calling

    Child Custody Matters- And Divorce Financial Guidance-The pathways to navigating your own case.

✅ Free 30 mins Initial Consultation.

I offer practical, affordable support for parents who can't afford expensive solicitor fees. If you're on a tight budget and need help, I'm here to support you.

I am regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and experienced McKenzie Friends in the UK, with over 30 years' experience. in more than 3,000 children's cases.

"I have maintained a strong record of success in highly complex cases, most notably securing a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2012 known as the voice of the child " Judges' Comments as someone with life experience, and an Expert in his own right his knowledge to present a legal argument is isperational.

My work also includes non-molestation and [Finding of fact hearings] financial remedy proceedings, as well as assistance in complex cases before the High Court and Supreme Court, including international child abduction. 


    🧒 Child Arrangements

    I can help you with:

    • ➡️ completion (wording that aligns with welfare checklist + avoids red flags)

    • ➡️ interview prep: likely questions, framing concerns credibly, do/don't guidance

    • ➡️ coordination: structuring proof of parenting capacity (school, routines, health, stability)

    • ➡️ schedule proposals: age-appropriate, realistic, court-friendly plans

    • ➡️ Issue / Prohibited Steps Orders: legal tests, threshold, and persuasive framing

    💡 Focus: child-centred, proportionate, and credible to CAFCASS and the court.

    💷 Financial Remedy Proceedings

    Support includes:

    • ➡️ A & Form E completion (clear, consistent, defensible disclosure)

    • ➡️ & liability schedules (property, business interests, debts, add-backs)

    • ➡️ maintenance analysis (needs vs sharing vs compensation models)

    • ➡️ valuation coordination (CETVs, when an expert is justified)

    • ➡️ strategy: without prejudice positioning, open offers, and negotiation sequencing

    💡 Focus: avoiding disclosure pitfalls and strengthening negotiating leverage.

    🚨 Domestic Abuse Applications

    I can assist with:

    • ➡️-molestation & occupation, and finding of facts

    • ➡️ / without notice applications

    • ➡️ preparation: police logs, GP notes, MARAC, screenshots, witness statements

    • ➡️ analysis: what courts actually accept as sufficient evidence➡️

    • Safety-focused narrative that avoids exaggeration but demonstrates risk

    ⚖️ Enforcement Proceedings

    Including:

    • Child arrangements breach applications

    • Financial order enforcement (attachment, charging orders, judgment summons)

    • Contempt / committal groundwork

    • Variation applications based on material change in circumstances

    • Strategic choice of enforcement route (cost vs effectiveness)

Hague Convention Cases: Child Abduction

Protects children and their families against the risks of illegal, irregular, premature or ill-prepared adoptions abroad.

To do this, the Hague Convention provides:

  • safeguards in place to make sure that all intercountry adoptions are in the best interests of the child and respect their human rights,
  • a system in place of cooperation among countries to guarantee that these safeguards are respected, and to prevent the abduction of, sale of, or traffic in children.

For Hague adoptions, the authorities in both countries must agree to go ahead with the adoption. For non-Hague adoptions, requirements may vary from one country to another.


    Child arrangements 

    A child arrangement order is an order that specifies where a child should live and/or the amount of time they should spend with another named person, such as a parent or other relative. The arrangements set out in the order will be based on the circumstances of the individual child's best interests and family situation, and so there is no "one size fits all"

    Child arrangement orders tend to be used by the child's parents as part of the separation process; however, they are also used by other people.

    The circumstances surrounding a child arrangements order vary depending on each family and situation.

    To make the arrangements clear and legally binding, some people enter into a child arrangement order by agreement, called a consent order. However, an order is usually applied for where arrangements cannot be agreed upon, or a person has encountered issues with previously agreed-upon arrangements not being complied with.

     

    Who can apply for a child arrangement order?

    Anyone with parental responsibility can apply for a child arrangement order. This can include:

    • A parent, guardian or special guardian.
    • A step-parent or another person who has parental responsibility for the child by way of a parental responsibility order or agreement.
    • Anyone who has a 'live with' child arrangements order in their favour already.
    • Any person who has parental responsibility by being named in a child arrangement order for the child to have contact/spend time with them.

    The following other people can also apply:

    • A person who has the consent of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child, or everyone who has a 'live with' order in their favour.
    • Any person in a marriage or civil partnership where the child is a child of the family.
    • If the child is in local authority care, a person who has the authority's consent.
    • A foster parent or other relative, if the child has lived with them for one year immediately before making the application.
    • Anyone who the child has lived with for a period of three years.

    Anyone who falls outside of the above will require the permission of the court to apply. This includes extended family members such as grandparents, uncles and aunts if none of the above apply to them.

    How long is the arrangement order valid for

    An order for a child to live with a person lasts until the child turns 18. An order for a child to spend time with a person lasts until the child turns 16. The Court will not make an order for a 16 or 17-year-old to live with a person unless exceptional circumstances apply.

    Who decides where the child spends their time

    Parents should try to decide arrangements between themselves in the first instance. If this is not possible, the court will make the decision if asked to.

    Who decides the best interests of the child, on what grounds

    If the child's parents cannot reach an agreement, either one of them can apply to the Court. The court will have to decide what is in the child's best interests and will consider certain factors known as the welfare checklist:

    • The ascertainable wishes and feelings of the child (in light of their age and understanding)
    • The child's physical, emotional and educational needs
    • The likely effect on the child of any change in circumstances
    • The child's age, sex and background and any other characteristics the court considers relevant
    • Any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering
    • How capable the child's parents (or other relevant person) is of meeting their needs
    • The range of powers available to the court

    Does the child have a say in who they live with

    This depends on the child's age, so generally, the older they are, the more weight will be given to their wishes and feelings, but this isn't the only factor the court will consider.

    Your court deals with child arrangement orders

    An application should be made to the court most local to the child who will be subject to the application. For example, for a child residing in the Warwickshire area, the local court would be Coventry.

    What are the types of child arrangement orders?

    A child arrangement order sets out who the child should live with and/or spend time with. However, there are two other types of order the Court can make, which sometimes get confused with a child arrangements order. These are a prohibited steps order and a specific issue order.

    Do I need a prohibited steps order?

    This is very specific and depends entirely on your situation. If you think you may need an order because another person with parental responsibility intends to do something against your wishes, you should seek specialist advice as soon as possible.

    How do I stop a prohibited steps order?

    If an order is made without giving you notice, you will need to apply to the court to vary or discharge it. If an application is made on notice to you, you will have the opportunity to oppose this at a hearing.

    I don't want my child's surname 

    The consent of each person with parental responsibility is required to change a child's name. If you oppose a request to change your child's name, the person seeking the change will have to apply to the court for an order permitting them to make the change.

    Prohibited steps order vs child arrangement order

    A child arrangement order deals with where the child shall live and spend time, and when. A prohibited steps order is an injunctive order to stop a person from carrying out a specific action.

    Specific issue order

    The other type of order is a specific issue order, which, as the name suggests, is an order to determine a specific question or issue that has arisen in relation to a child's upbringing, which the parties cannot agree upon. This could include decisions around taking a child abroad or the medical treatment of a child. 


Read more: https://www.mckenziefriendfamilylaw.com/children-and-families-act-2014/text here...