Residence and Custody
An order enabled under Section 12 of the Children and Families Act 2014 which replaced and combined the old orders for Contact and Residence in Section 8 of the Children Act 1989, determining with whom and when a child will live or have contact. The wording of the Act gives the courts considerable flexibility in the drafting of an order and is designed to eliminate any suggestion of winners and losers by conferring a status on the resident or custodial parent that the contact or access parent lacks.
Once the decision has been made to apply for a divorce most people consult a solicitor whilst others opt for a DIY approach. Regardless of which approach is taken spouses seeking a divorce must do so through the Court System.
Given the gravity of the matter at stake and often the fact that there is the welfare of children involved and family assets to be divided the vast majority of people elect to engage the services of an experienced family law solicitor either privately or through the state funded legal aid board.
This booklet provides advice and information for parents on how to arrange positive contact between parents and children.