Sometimes, after a divorce, separation, or family conflict, grandparents and other relatives are distressed to find themselves cut out of a child’s life.
Here at Mark Reynolds Solicitors, we recognise that grandparents and relatives can play an invaluable role and we believe maintaining family ties, where appropriate, is important for a child’s wellbeing, providing comfort and support and often being a rich source of cultural background and heritage.
Our team of grandparents’ rights solicitors and relatives’ rights solicitors is here to help and support you through gaining child access and visitation rights.
We can assist to resolve matters amicably by contacting any other party involved. We also offer effective mediation services, or can issue an application for a child arrangements order on your behalf.
To arrange a free initial consultation with our team or to learn more about the process, call our office on 0800 002 9577 or complete the contact form on the right.
What rights do grandparents and relatives have regarding child access?
Grandparents and other relatives often assume they don’t have the right to exercise contact with children. Although grandparent’s rights are not automatic, the family courts recognise the invaluable role that grandparents and other close relatives play in a child’s life.
If the court considers it in a child’s best interests to maintain contact with their grandparents, it will always work to reunite grandparents and grandchildren and facilitate contact using a court order.
How can grandparents get contact rights to see their grandchildren?
Being prevented from seeing your grandchildren can be a heart-wrenching experience.
Although grandparents do not automatically have the legal right to see their grandchildren, they can apply for contact through the family court.
However, before turning to the court, our team of grandparents’ rights solicitors will guide you through trying to resolve the dispute using negotiation or a mediation service. If an agreement cannot be reached, we can help you apply to the court.
Under the Children Act 1989, grandparents can ask the family court for permission to apply for a court order. They can apply for a child arrangement order if permission is granted.
When deciding whether to grant permission, the court considers the grandparents’ relationship with the grandchild, the nature of the application, whether maintaining contact is in the child’s best interests, and how contact with the grandparents would impact the rest of the family.
Other relatives, like aunts and uncles, may also be able to apply for contact with a child in their family using a child arrangement order.
If the family court grants permission, a grandparent can apply for a child arrangement order even if the child’s parents are not separated or divorced.
What is a child arrangement order?
A child arrangement order is a court order that decides with whom the child should have contact.
If your application for a child arrangement order is successful, the order will set out how often you can see your grandchild and under what circumstances.
Contact may include in-person visits, telephone calls, and online communications or video calls.
Why choose Mark Reynolds Solicitors?
We have a highly experienced family law team at Mark Reynolds Solicitors, including specialist grandparents’ rights solicitors and relatives’ rights solicitors.
They understand just how upsetting it can be to lose contact with a much-loved child in the family, and we work with families to resolve child access issues.
With offices in Liverpool, Warrington, Leigh, and Runcorn, we help countless families across the North West to resolve child contact issues peacefully.
Contact us today on 0800 002 9577 or fill out the contact form on the right to schedule a free, no-obligation initial consultation.