Divorce and family law

What does a Schedule 1 Children Act application mean

This is a specific type of court application that is available to request an order to provide financial assistance for children from an unmarried parent.

What are Financial Remedy Proceedings

These are the court proceedings that you can apply to the court for following a divorce/dissolution which will ultimately provide orders for a financial settlement.

Can I claim maintenance?

Child maintenance is usually governed by the Child Maintenance Service and there are only certain times when the court will make orders regarding child maintenance (child periodical payments). Spousal maintenance (spousal periodical payments) can be made in financial proceedings and will depend on the circumstances of the case.

What is a Pension Sharing Order (PSO)

A Pension Sharing Order (PSO) is an order made upon the conclusion of divorce/dissolution financial proceedings which allows a pension to be shared in accordance with the order, and the receiving party will receive this share of the pension to put in their own pension fund.

What are residence and contact orders

These are historical terms the court used to describe where a child lives and spends time with a parent. These are now called Child Arrangement Orders.

Do I have to go to court to sort out contact (spend time with) arrangements for our children?

Research tells us that arrangements agreed between the parties are much more likely to succeed if they are made by agreement between the parents. However, where one parent does not agree to those arrangements we can suggest alternative ways of reaching a resolution for your children for example, you may need to try mediation, arbitration or ultimately court proceedings to help you sort these arrangements.