Shared Care Family Law: Children Act 1989, 50/50 Care & Family Court Support, Low-Cost Support.
Experienced Help With Shared Care, Child Arrangements and Family Court Cases.
Are you looking for shared care family law help because you want your child to spend regular and meaningful time with both parents?
Are you considering 50/50 shared care, a Child Arrangements Order, overnight contact or a change to your existing child arrangements?
If you are involved in a dispute about shared care, child custody, child contact or where your child should live, I can provide practical McKenzie Friend support to help you prepare for the Family Court.
I am Christopher James-Coutanche, a professional McKenzie Friend with over 30 years of advanced-level experienceand experience involving more than 5,000 children's cases. My existing website describes extensive experience in complex children's proceedings and higher-court litigation.
Call 07878 896044 or contact me on WhatsApp.
What Does Shared Care Mean in Family Law?
Shared care means that a child spends substantial and regular periods of time living with or being cared for by both parents.
Shared care is sometimes described by parents as:
- 50/50 custody
- 50/50 child custody
- 50/50 parenting
- Equal shared care
- Shared parenting
- Shared residence
- Joint custody
- Equal care
- Shared child arrangements
However, shared care does not necessarily mean exactly 50/50.
The Family Court looks at the individual circumstances of the child when deciding child arrangements. A Child Arrangements Order can determine who a child is to live with and when they are to spend time with another person.
The court's paramount consideration is the child's welfare under the Children Act 1989.
Shared Care Under the Children Act 1989
The Children Act 1989 is central to many disputes about children in England and Wales.
Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 provides that, when a court determines a question concerning a child's upbringing, the child's welfare is the court's paramount consideration.
The court considers the statutory welfare checklist, including:
- The child's wishes and feelings
- The child's physical, emotional and educational needs
- The likely effect of changes in circumstances
- The child's age, sex, background and relevant characteristics
- Any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering
- How capable each parent is of meeting the child's needs
- The range of powers available to the court
This is why a shared care application should be based on the child's needs and welfare, rather than simply arguing that each parent should receive exactly half of the child's time.
Is 50/50 Child Custody an Automatic Right?
No.
Parents sometimes search for "50/50 child custody UK" because they believe separation should automatically result in equal time with each parent.
There is no automatic rule requiring the Family Court to order 50/50 care.
The court considers the circumstances of the individual child and family.
A parent seeking shared care should therefore be prepared to explain:
Why will the proposed arrangement work for the child?
How will school arrangements work?
How will handovers work?
Where will the child stay overnight?
How will holidays be divided?
How will parents communicate?
Is the arrangement realistic and sustainable?
I can help you prepare and organise these issues before your Family Court hearing.
Shared Care and Child Arrangements Orders
If parents cannot agree arrangements themselves, the Family Court can make a Child Arrangements Order.
A Child Arrangements Order can address:
Where the child lives
The order can specify that a child lives with one parent, both parents or make other arrangements appropriate to the circumstances.
When the child spends time with each parent
This can include weekdays, weekends, overnight stays, school holidays and special occasions.
Shared care arrangements
Where appropriate, the court can make arrangements reflecting substantial care by both parents.
Holidays
A parenting arrangement can include provisions for Christmas, Easter, school holidays and birthdays.
How I Help With 50/50 Shared Care Cases
If you are asking for 50/50 shared care, I can help you prepare a practical proposal rather than simply asking the court for "equal custody".
For example, we can look at:
School Week Arrangements
Who takes the child to school?
Who collects them?
Where will the child stay during the school week?
How will homework and school activities be managed?
Overnight Contact
How many nights will the child spend with each parent?
Will overnight stays alternate?
Would a midweek overnight arrangement work?
Weekend Contact
Will weekends alternate?
Will one parent have the child from Friday to Monday?
School Holidays
How will half terms, Christmas, Easter and summer holidays be divided?
Birthdays and Special Occasions
How will birthdays, Christmas Day and other important events be handled?
Travel and Handovers
Who will collect and return the child?
Where will handovers take place?
How far apart do the parents live?
Communication Between Parents
How will important information about school, health and activities be communicated?
These practical details can be extremely important when presenting a shared care proposal to the Family Court.
Experienced McKenzie Friend for Shared Care Family Law
My experience is particularly relevant where a child arrangements case has become complicated.
I have over 30 years of advanced-level experience supporting people involved in family proceedings and have experience in thousands of children's cases. My existing website describes my work in complex child custody and Family Court matters.
My experience includes cases involving:
- Child custody disputes
- Shared care disputes
- Child arrangements
- Child contact
- Residence and living arrangements
- 50/50 parenting proposals
- High-conflict parents
- Cafcass involvement
- Section 7 reports
- Findings of fact
- Domestic abuse allegations
- Safeguarding concerns
- Prohibited Steps Orders
- Specific Issue Orders
- Relocation disputes
- International child disputes
- Complex private-law children's proceedings
- Litigants in person
My Experience With Complex Children's Cases
Not every shared care case is straightforward.
Sometimes one parent wants 50/50 shared care, while the other parent objects.
Sometimes allegations are made.
Sometimes a parent says the child does not want to stay with the other parent.
Sometimes Cafcass becomes involved.
Sometimes there is an existing Child Arrangements Order that is no longer working.
Sometimes the case develops into a contested or high-conflict Family Court hearing.
My experience of complex children's proceedings means I understand that these cases need to be approached carefully and individually.
Your case should be about your child, your evidence and your circumstances.
More Than 30 Years' Experience in Family Court Proceedings
I have worked with families involved in children's proceedings for more than three decades.
My existing website records experience in more than 5,000 children's cases, together with experience in highly complex proceedings and higher courts.
My experience has included cases progressing beyond ordinary private-law disputes, including significant higher-court proceedings.
I was also involved in a significant 2012 Supreme Court case concerning the voice of the child, an experience that has contributed to my understanding of the importance of children's wishes and feelings in complex family proceedings.