Making child arrangements if you divorce or separate
Making child arrangements
You can choose how to make arrangements for looking after your children if you separate from your partner.
What you can do is different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
You and your ex-partner can usually avoid going to court hearings if you agree on:
- where the children will live
- how much time they’ll spend with each parent
- how you’ll financially support your children
You can use a legal advisor if you want to make your agreement legally binding.
You can agree on child maintenance at the same time or separately.
Get help agreeing
You can make a Parenting Plan with your ex-partner. You can also use a mediator or get other help to help you reach an agreement.
You can read more about preparing to make arrangements and reaching an agreement.
You can also get help and information from:
If you cannot agree on everything
You can ask a court to decide anything you cannot agree after using a mediator or getting other help.
You must show you’ve attended a meeting to see if mediation is right for you before applying to a court. You will not have to in certain cases, for example if there’s been domestic abuse or social services are involved.
You will not usually get legal aid to help with court costs unless you’re separating from an abusive partner.
You can contact Citizens Advice for advice about what to do in your situation.