What Is A Child Arrangements Order?
Coming to the decision to divorce is incredibly difficult, particularly if you share children with your former spouse. During this time, some of the most important decisions that must be made concern the child's residence and contact with their parents. In the United Kingdom, parents are given the opportunity to work out their own agreements that concern their children. They may be able to settle their arrangements on their own, or they may try mediation or collaborative practice to help get them there. While many parents will find success using these methods, others may find themselves stuck in disagreement. In those cases, speaking to a divorce lawyer about applying for a Child Arrangements Order may be the next step.
What is a Child Arrangements Order?
A Child Arrangements Order will determine several arrangements for a child including where they live and how they have contact with their parents. This Order has taken the place of two common Orders concerning children: Residence Orders and child Contact Orders. A Child Arrangements Order will take into account residence and contact matters, and dictate specific instructions concerning both.
In regards to contact, a Child Arrangements Order may set specifics as to the type of contact that a parent may have with the child. The type of contact between parent and child could be specified in the Order as indirect, which includes contact by email or phone, or direct, which would mean face-to-face contact. In-person contact over weekends, holidays, and other special occasions may also be noted in the order.
While residence and contact issues are very important to decide, other orders can be requested to address other concerns. A Specific Issue Order can be applied for in order to specify things like where a child will attend school, what religion they'll be brought up practicing, and even whose surname they'll have. Another order, a Prohibited Steps Order, can be applied for if a parent objects to the types of decisions that the other parent is making for their child.
Applying For Orders
In order to apply for a Child Arrangements Order or other Court Order, parents need to show that they have at least tried other options to help them reach agreements before heading to court. Only in certain cases can parents can apply for a Court Order without trying other strategies first, such as in cases involving domestic violence.
Courts encourage parents to work out their own agreements so that they will be more in tune with the family's individual needs. Working with a mediator can be a great option for parents who need to settle on important arrangements for their children. It will allow both parents to be more involved when it comes to formulating their arrangements, rather than having a judge make the decision for them. Collaborative divorce is another great option for parents to work out agreements outside of Court. Each parent appoints their own lawyer who is trained in collaborative practice, and discussions are had in meetings between all four individuals. Again, this process allows parents to be directly involved in deciding the arrangements, and it can end up costing a lot less than litigation.
What's Next?
Communication plays a big role in helping parents to enact their child arrangements, particularly if they share parenting time and other responsibilities. The OurFamilyWizard® website is an excellent resource to help make communication easier between homes. With access to a shared parenting time calendar, family information bank, message board and other tools, parents can share information and stay informed about everything related to their children. These tools help to keep communication clear and unambiguous, and this can help parents mediate issues on their own without having to return to Court. All parent activity is thoroughly documented on OurFamilyWizard® so that there will always be a record of what was said, requested, viewed, etc.
Whether or not parents came up with their own child arrangements, enacting what was decided is important. Learn more about how the OurFamilyWizard® tools can help parents manage their arrangements and get started today by creating your own account.