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Free call with a client relationship manager
A confidential, no-charge call with our team, not lawyers, to understand your situation and check this is the right fit.
Free
Co-parenting
Resolving child arrangements
Separating parents often want to work together to agree the best arrangements for their children, but they also want legal advice. In the past this has forced them to separate solicitors, but our joint service enables co-parents to share one specialist family law solicitor or barrister, who can advise them together.
We have three services for families, being a joint consultation with a specialist family solicitor, a solicitor-drafted parenting plan or a barrister-led Advice Session.
Every family is different. The best way to explore how we can help your particular situation is to book a call with us.
- What our advice covers
- Living and spending-time arrangements, school and holiday choices, communication, day-to-day decisions, introducing new partners, and a structure you can review as your children grow.
- One Couple One Lawyer
- One shared solicitor or one shared barrister advises you both.
- What the law says
- If a court decides a question about a child's upbringing, the Children Act 1989 makes the child's welfare paramount. Where safe and appropriate, parents are expected to explore agreement before asking a judge to decide.
- Fixed-fee options
- £900 per couple for a joint consultation with a family law solicitor, from £1,500 for a solicitor-drafted parenting plan, an Advice Session with a specialist family law barrister starts from £5,700.
How can we help you?
Our service can be as light-touch or as in-depth as you need. We offer one-off joint consultations to set you on the right track, follow-up sessions when life throws a curveball and legal support to write a parenting plan. Our advising barristers are on hand to give in-depth advice where needed, drawing on their wealth of court experience.
What happens at a joint co-parenting session?
Your shared solicitor or barrister will explain the relevant law and give you their view as to what a court would be likely to decide based on your family’s specific circumstances.
What is a parenting plan?
A parenting plan is a detailed document which sets out your co-parenting agreements, encompassing not only the time your children will spend with each of you but also your co-parenting values and how you will navigate future choices for your children. It is not legally binding but it will carry weight in the unlikely event of any future court proceedings. It’s important to know that there is no legal requirement to draw up any court document when it comes to how you care for your children: provided you both agree, the courts do not want to get involved. Many parents find parenting plans helpful tools when starting their co-parenting journey.
How long do your Co-parenting services take?
Many couples access this service alongside our Resolving your finances service, and can be completed in as little as a one-off session. Timings will depend on your needs and we work around your schedule.
What happens next?
02
Introductory Session
You each spend 45 mins individually with one of our solicitors, exploring your family situation and priorities. A fixed fee quote for the service best suited to you is then shared with you both.
£200 total, deducted from your fixed fee if you proceed
03
Co-parenting Session
Your shared solicitor or barrister advises you both, together, addressing the points you both need resolved. The barrister-led sessions are followed by a detailed written advice.
In your fixed fee
04
Parenting plan
As a final step, your shared solicitor or barrister can work with you both to turn your co-parenting agreement into a parenting plan.
Fixed fee from £1,500, quoted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to go to court to agree on co-parenting arrangements during our divorce?
No. If you agree the arrangements yourselves, the courts won’t get involved and you don’t need any official paperwork- you can simply put your agreed arrangements into practice. Many co-parents find a parenting plan helpful to record their agreements but this is not a requirement.
Will the same solicitor who handles our divorce finances also handle our co-parenting arrangements?
No. Co-parenting is handled by a separate solicitor, deliberately, so each part of your divorce gets focussed attention.
Does the Co-parenting service cover financial support for our children?
No. Financial support for your children will be covered by either our Resolving Finances service if you are married, or our Financial provision for children service if you are unmarried.
Does it matter if we were never married?
No, this Co-parenting service is available to all parents going through a separation, regardless of marital status.
How much does the Co-parenting service cost during a divorce?
A joint consultation with a family solicitor is £900. An Advice Session with a specialist family law barrister starts from £5,700. Our parenting plan service starts from £1,500. Our fees are always fixed and agreed before we start work, so you have cost certainty.
Is a parenting plan legally binding?
No. It is not legally binding but it will carry weight in the unlikely event of any future court proceedings. Many parents find parenting plans useful to record their agreements and co-parenting values.
What can a parenting plan cover?
It can cover practical arrangements such as where your children live, when they spend time with each parent, holidays, school and health decisions, communication, handovers and how you will review the plan as your children's needs change.
Take one clear next step
Every family is different, choose whichever option feels right for where you are now.