FAQs about children and dissolution
Children and dissolution
How can I get information or advice?
For free legal information, help and advice contact Community Legal Service Direct on 0845 345 4 345 or at www.clsdirect.org.uk You can also seek help from a Citizens Advice Bureau or Consumer Advice Centre.
What should I do before I start a petition?
Read leaflets D193 (About dissolution) and D194 (I want to get a dissolution - what do I do?). Court staff can provide you with copies of these leaflets and all forms mentioned in this leaflet. They are also available on-line at www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk
Will the court be concerned with all the children of the civil partnership?
No, only those who still need your care and financial support because of their age and circumstances.
You will have to name all living children of the family, no matter how old they are, when you fill in paragraph 4 of your petition. See leaflet D194 (I want to get a dissolution - what do I do?).
The court will be concerned with any child who was born to you and the respondent, or who has been treated by you as though they had been born to you, who is:
• under 16; or
• between 16 and 18 and still at college or school full time.
These children are referred to as “children of the family”.
This includes children that either or both of you have adopted. It does not include foster children.
Why do I have to give the court details about the children?
The court must consider the arrangements you propose for the children after the dissolution.
In exceptional circumstances it can hold up the final order until satisfactory arrangements are made for them.
What will the court want to know?
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The court will want to know:
• where they live;
• who they live with;
• whether the other parent will see them and how often;
• about their day-to-day care;
• about their health;
• where they will go to school;
• what financial support they will receive; and
• that any special arrangements to help or protect them have been made.
Does this mean I must ask the court to make orders about all these things?
No. It is better if you, the respondent (and the children if they are old enough to understand) can agree these things together without the court having to make an order (referred to as “exercising its powers under the Children Act 1989”).
Whether or not you and the respondent agree about the children the court will only make an order about them if it would be better for the children than making no order
at all.
How will I tell the court about the arrangements proposed for the children?
When you start your dissolution you must fill in form D8A (statement of arrangements for children) which sets out the proposals you are making.
You will see that the respondent can also sign the form D8A to show that he or she agrees with what you propose.
Court staff can provide you with a copy of this form.
What will happen if the respondent will not sign the form D8A?
The court will send the respondent a copy of form D8A with your petition. He or she will be asked to fill in form D510(6) (acknowledgment of service) to say whether or not they agree with what you have proposed.
If they do not agree they can make their own proposals on a form D8A and send it to the court. If this happens, the court will send you a copy.
When will the Judge consider the arrangements for the children?
Normally when the Judge looks at the papers after you apply for “directions for trial”. See leaflet D196 (The respondent has replied to my petition - what must I do next?). You will not normally have to attend court when next this happens.
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What will happen if the Judge is satisfied with the arrangements for the children?
The court will send you form D584B (notice of satisfaction with the arrangements for the children). This will tell you that the court does not need to “exercise its powers under the Children Act 1989”.
Form D584B will be sent to you and the respondent with form D584A, the form which tells you when your conditional order will be made. Leaflet D197 (I have a conditional order - what must I do next?) will tell you what happens after your conditional order is pronounced.
What can the Judge decide if he is not satisfied with the arrangements proposed for the children?
In exceptional circumstances he can decide you cannot obtain your final order until satisfactory arrangements are made for the children.
In that case you will be sent a copy of form D566 (notice that a conditional order should not be made final).
In other cases the Judge can decide any of the following:
• That he needs further information about the children. You will be told what extra information you have to provide.
OR
• That an appointment should be fixed for you and the respondent to come and see the Judge about the children. The appointment will be held in the Judge’s room (called “chambers”). Normally only you, the respondent and the Judge will be there.
OR
• That a welfare report should be prepared about the children. A welfare officer or children and family court reporter will contact you and the respondent and make an appointment to see you both. He or she will want to talk to the children as well. When the report is ready it will be sent to the court office. The court will tell you how you can get a copy.
OR
• That it would be better for the children if the arrangements you are proposing, or some other matter about them, should be in a court order. If this happens you will need to apply formally to the court. You should ask a solicitor to help you.
Form D84C will tell you what will happen next and what you need to do.
What kind of orders can the court make?
The most common types of order are orders for financial support and “section 8” orders.
There are different types of section 8 orders:
• “residence orders” which say who the children should live with.
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D195 Children and dissolution (12 .05) HMCS
• “contact orders” which say who the children are allowed to see, or receive letters or telephone calls from.
• “prohibited steps orders” prevent a child’s parents, or any other named person, from taking certain steps, such as taking a child abroad without first getting the court’s permission.
• “specific issues orders” set out precisely how a particular matter about the children should be handled such as their schooling.
The court can also make orders such as “care orders” or “emergency protection orders” where the children are being abused or at risk of harm.
Where do I apply for financial support?
When you are asking for financial support for a child which is not for a single (lump sum) payment, you should apply to the Child Support Agency.
In almost every other case, including where the respondent is the stepparent of the child, you should make an application to the court. Court staff will tell you if this is not the case.
How much will it cost?
You may have to pay a court fee. Please ask the court staff for a copy of the leaflet EX50 - County Court Fees. This lists the most common family fees.
How can I pay the fee?
By cash, postal order or cheque. Make your cheque or postal order payable to Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS). Please note that courts cannot accept payments by debit or credit cards.
Does the fee always have to be paid?
No. Your financial situation may mean you do not have to pay a fee. The combined booklet and application form EX160A - Court Fees - do I have to pay them? provides further information on this.
Court staff can provide you with a copy of the EX160A. You will have to make a separate application for each fee that you would otherwise have to pay.
A leaflet about the Child Support Agency is available from any court office. The leaflet will tell you how to make an application
