Are Social Services (Local Authority) involved with your family? Or are you an extended family member of a child who has been taken into care?
If a child is likely to suffer significant harm because of the care provided to them, the court may make an order to protect the welfare of the child. This is either a Care or Supervision Order. The court will determine this based on if a child was at risk of harm without a Care Order or if a child is beyond parental control.
A Care Order allows the Local Authority to remove the child from the carers and to share Parental Responsibility with the parents. The Local Authority ensures that a child maintains contact with his/her family as long as it is safe to do so.
Where the Local Authority has commenced care proceedings, parents and those with parental responsibility for the child will be automatically eligible for legal aid or public funding to defend the case. Public funding may be available to other family members or interested parties subject to both a means and merits assessment of their case.
At AGR Law, we have expertise to represent you in the following circumstances:
- Applications to vary orders where the Children Services have been involved or there is an existing care order and one does not meet the means assessment for legal aid
- Application for an Adoption Order or to defend an application for an Adoption Order
- Applications for contact with a child who is in care
- Applications to discharge or vary a Care Order, Child Arrangement Order, Specific Issue Order, Supervision Order and Prohibited Steps Order