Parents apart
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Parents apart (401 KB)
Quarrels over children can be some of the most distressing legal battles anyone has to face. Parents apart aims to help you deal with these issues, and find ways of being co-operative parents and families. Families, after all, go on forever even after marriages and partnerships break down.
This guide will help you make arrangements about your children if you do not live together, or are splitting up. It tells you where you can get help with this, and what, as a last resort, the law can do. It does not cover other aspects of splitting up, like dividing property or making financial arrangements (see What do we need to sort out? for more details).
In parts of the guide we assume that you are a parent, but much of the guide is also relevant for people who are not parents but have a close relationship with children – such as unmarried step-parents or grandparents. A separate section explains how the law applies to you if you are not a parent.
In a civil partnership?
This info is for you too. The law that applies to married parents applies to you as well. Assume any reference to marriage or husband/wife applies to you and your partner as well.
Who is this guide for?
- Parents who do not live together and need to make arrangements for their children.
- Parents who are splitting up.
- Other adults (such as step-parents and grandparents) who want to make sure that they keep a relationship with children.
