Legal
Navigate the legal complexities of separation, including custody arrangements, child support, maintenance, and your rights and responsibilities as a father.
Benefits System and Shared Parenting
Separated Dads' letter to the government has so far (4 weeks in) only received an acknowledgement from no.10, but an MP has raised a new early day motion whi...
Breach of Contact or Residence Order: What to Do
A 'contact order' is an order made by the court that determines who is entitled to communicate with a child (either through face to face meetings or telephon...
Cafcass Staff: A Broad Cross Section of Society?
Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) provides a variety of staff members who undertake different roles within the family court sy...
Can I Leave the CSA and Come to a Private Arrangement?
Due to recent changes in child support laws and since the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) has replaced the Child Support Agency (CSA), it is possible to come...
Can My Ex Change My Children's Names?
A name is central to a person’s identity. Families often have names that are passed down generations, precious markers of family connections. Fundamentally...
Changing Your Child's Surname
If you are separated or divorced, there may come a time when your ex-partner wishes to change your child’s surname. It is relatively common, however, for o...
Changing Your Will to Favour Your Children After Divorce
Do you have a will? You should have. It’s your way of making your wishes known and distributing your property and assets after your death and as such, it�...
Contact Orders: the Process
As a devoted father, you will want to maintain a close relationship with your children. Hopefully, your relationship will remain amicable with the mother of...
Divorce and Contempt of Court
During divorce court proceedings an individual can be held ‘in contempt of court’. This means that an order has been made against a person, or organisati...
Divorce and Perjury
A person who is proven to have lied in evidence given court is guilty of perjury. The offence can only be made out if an individual has lied under oath. This...
Divorce and Perverting the Course of Justice
While commonly individuals are charged with perverting the course of justice in criminal proceedings, it is also possible to be guilty of the offence in rela...
Divorce and Separation: The Law in Scotland
The legal processes for divorce, civil partnerships and separation is different in Scotland from that of England and Wales. Here is a basic guide to Scottish...
Do You Know Your Rights as a Father?
Having never planned to be in this position before, you are probably unsure of exactly what your rights as a father are. You want to do your best as a father...
Does Having a Good Lawyer Help?
You might read about large divorce settlements in the newspapers. In all likelihood, the people who are benefiting have employed high-powered and very expens...
Duty of Care: When Your Solicitor Won't Contact You
Most people hope that they never have to deal with lawyers, but when it comes to divorce, separation and contact with your kids, it can feel like your whole...
Ensuring Your Children Are Cared for if You Die
The Children Act 1989 defines parental responsibility as all the "rights, duties, powers and responsibility which a parent of a child has in relation to the...
Equality in the Family Courts: Letter from Separated Dads to P.M
Please see below the letter we sent on 12th May 2010. This was acknowledged on 19th May 2010, but as of today 16th May 2013, we have received no further corr...
Ex Wants to Take Child to Live in an EU Country: What Are My Rights?
People are much more international now. It is not uncommon for people to spend periods of time working abroad or to have relationships with someone from anot...
How Divorce Works For Fathers
Divorce is what legally ends the marriage between you and your former partner resulting in a decree nisi and a decree absolute. It can be simple, or a length...
How to Write Your Statement for Court
If you are going to the Family Court to seek child contact or residence, you may have been directed as to a date when your statement must be sent to all part...
How Visitation Rights Work For Fathers
As a father you want to stay in close touch with your children, even after you and your partner have separated. Obviously, the best and simplest way to do th...
Legal Aid Withdrawal: How to Represent Yourself
A few changes in family law have recently taken place or are imminent. We thought you'd like to know the details so we've asked Celia Conrad a former special...
Lobby Your MP About Fathers' Rights
We've received many emails and facebook postings from dads who want fairer rights where their children are concerned and would like to lobby government to ma...
Mediation as a Solution for Child Custody and Visitation
No one’s going to try to say that separating is easy. Even at its smoothest, it’s a dizzying, horrible experience. In court it can lead to a lot of acrim...
Parental Responsibility: Have it? Need it? Get it.
What is Parental Responsibility? Parental responsibility is the right to have a say in decisions affecting your child's upbringing. It is important to note t...
Paternal Grandparents' Rights
Grandparents are a huge asset to any family. Not only do they have a lot of love to give to their grandchildren, but these days they’re often called on as...
Paternity and the Law
As an expecting father you are filled with a huge range of emotions, from excitement to anxiety. With everything on your mind as you prepare for your child,...
Recommended Reading For Separated Dads
From time to time we are asked for details of books and publications related to Separated Dads. Below is some information about books that our website visito...
Response from Ed Balls to Our Letter
Here is the response to our letter, not from Ed Balls (shadow children's secretary) himself but from a member of his campaign team. See here to read the lett...
Separation Rights for Fathers
If you have a child with your partner but aren’t married, you do have rights and responsibilities. Since the new law in 2003, if you were present when the...
Shared Custody of Your Children
There are numerous questions surrounding shared custody. What is it? How does it work? And how is it different to contact (as visitation is called these days...
The Equality Act 2010: What it Can Do for You
Most of the provisions of the new Equality Act 2010 came into force in October 2010, although some parts of the legislation are currently being phased in. It...
Unsupervised Contact: Taking Along Family Members
If you've been granted unsupervised contact by the court, can you take other family members with you? Can the courts or the other party stop you? Nobody acti...
Using a McKenzie Friend in Court
A McKenzie Friend is someone who accompanies a litigant in Court to provide moral support. They may also take notes, help the litigant find the correct paper...
What Are Barring Orders?
A barring order is a court order to bar or prevent a claimant from making "vexatious" applications. The definition of vexatious is where a person brings acti...
What Goes into the Cafcass Family Report?
For an agency that’s not well known, Cafcass (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) wields an awful lot of power. Whenever parents ca...
What Happens If My Ex Keeps the Children Without My Consent?
The thought of your ex partner taking your children is the worst nightmare of many parents, and so if it happens, understandably it is a very emotional and s...
What is Abduction?
Child abduction by a parent is rare, but stories have appeared in the news more regularly in recent times. The increase in travel availability, better links...
When Ex Changes Locks on Jointly Owned Property
The home that you enjoyed together as partners is now being used to demonstrate the breakdown of the relationship…before you take steps that you could regr...
When Your Ex Emigrates With Your Children
The modern world is getting smaller, with more and more people living and working abroad. It's no surprise that the number of international families is on th...
When Your Ex-Partner Denies You Access
If your ex-partner says they won’t let you have contact with your children, it can feel devastating. The reasons may vary, but the priority is the same: yo...
Which Court Form Do I Need?
Deciding which court form is needed can be confusing. The courts have wide powers regarding the types of orders that can be made in relation to children and...
Your Right to Be Kept Informed About Your Child: A Guide
As a committed father, you want to know all about the important things in your child's life, particularly their medical and educational information. If you d...
Your Rights if You Win Custody of Your Children
The important fact to remember is that, in the majority of cases, the father will not be granted custody of the child by the courts. Individuals and groups h...
Your Separated Father's Rights
When you've split up with your ex it's important to know what your rights and responsibilities are regarding your children. The most important thing is to de...