When a Local Authority becomes involved in relation to the care of a child, parents, family members and others involved may need specialist legal advice.
Ahmad & Williams Solicitors provides legal support across a range of child care law matters, including care proceedings, Special Guardianship and other circumstances involving Local Authority concerns about the care of children.
Our team can discuss your circumstances, explain the legal process and help you understand the next steps.
Care proceedings
Care proceedings can involve important decisions about a child’s care and future.
If a Local Authority starts, or is considering starting, care proceedings involving your child, obtaining appropriate legal advice at an early stage can help you understand the concerns being raised, the court process and your position.
Our Child Care team can advise and represent clients in relation to care proceedings and explain what may be required as the matter progresses.
Local Authority involvement
A Local Authority may become involved with a family before court proceedings are issued.
If you have received correspondence, been invited to meetings or have concerns about Local Authority involvement regarding your child, contact our team to discuss the circumstances and the legal advice that may be appropriate.
Special Guardianship
A Special Guardianship Order appoints one or more people who are not the child’s parents to have parental responsibility for the child. [legalaidle…ice.gov.uk]
Special Guardianship can be relevant in circumstances involving grandparents, other family members, foster carers or others considering the long-term care of a child.
Ahmad & Williams Solicitors can discuss Special Guardianship matters with those seeking advice about their individual circumstances.
Adoption
Our Child Care service can also include advice concerning adoption matters.
Adoption can involve significant and permanent legal changes for the child and the people involved.
If you require advice concerning adoption or its relationship with existing child care proceedings, contact our team to discuss the services available.
Other child care matters
Our Child Care team can provide support across a range of matters involving children, including:
- Care proceedings
- Local Authority involvement
- Special Guardianship
- Adoption
- Other public law children matters within the firm’s services
Where a matter concerns arrangements between parents or other private family disputes about children, our wider Family Law team may be the more appropriate department.
If you are unsure which service applies to your circumstances, contact us and we can direct your enquiry appropriately.
Legal Aid
Legal Aid is available for a range of public law children proceedings, although the precise funding rules depend upon the proceedings and the person’s position in them. Current Legal Aid Agency guidance confirms that public law proceedings remain within the scope of family legal aid, while different means, merits and eligibility rules can apply depending upon the circumstances. [assets.pub…ice.gov.uk]
Special Guardianship Orders are also within the scope of family legal aid in specified circumstances, with different rules depending on matters such as whether the person is a parent, has parental responsibility and the nature of the proceedings. [legalaidle…ice.gov.uk]
[CLIENT TO CONFIRM THAT AHMAD & WILLIAMS CURRENTLY HOLDS THE RELEVANT LEGAL AID CONTRACT AND APPROVE THE FIRM-SPECIFIC FUNDING WORDING BEFORE PUBLICATION.]
Contact the firm about your circumstances and the funding arrangements that may be available for your particular matter.
Clear communication throughout
Child care proceedings and Local Authority involvement can involve unfamiliar terminology, documents, meetings and court processes.
Our aim is to explain matters clearly, keep clients informed about the legal work being undertaken and help them understand what may be required as their matter progresses.
Speak to our Child Care team
If a Local Authority is involved with your family, you have received documents relating to care proceedings, or you require advice about another child care matter, contact Ahmad & Williams Solicitors.
Telephone: 0121 328 4282
You can also use our online enquiry form to provide some basic information about your enquiry.