Parents

Disputes between separated parents

This website for users of Bristol Family Court contains a wealth of information about the law on private law cases. It is designed to help litigants in person (people who do not have a lawyer). ‘Private law’ here means disputes about parenting after separation, usually between a child’s parents about who the child will live with and contact arrangements. All the explanations about the law on this Bristol site also applies to courts in Wales. The only information that is not relevant in Wales is details of local services.

There are useful guides, including videos, for parents going to court without a lawyer on the Advice Now website.

Information on family mediation services in Wales is available on the National Family Mediation (NFM) website.

A charitable not-for-proft mediation service is available in South-east Wales.

Parents who are not able to agree the arrangements for caring for the children are only eligible for legal aid in very restricted circumstances.

  1. Legal aid for mediation and legal advice
  2. Where domestic violence or child protection is involved

Local authority involvement

The Child Protection Resource aims to help anyone who becomes involved in child protection investigations to navigate their way through the systems of interventions by children’s services and the family courts. It features useful ‘myth busters’ about law and policy and an inter-active blog.

Family Rights Group (FRG) have a wide range of factsheets and other useful advice for parents and family members on their website. Note that specific references to the law may apply to England although FRG help with family group conferences and some other services across England and Wales.