What types of CAOs can be put in place and what do they include?
The Court has the power to make a range of orders and the orders can be as prescriptive or flexible as the Court sees fit (or as agreed between the parents). Child Arrangements Orders typically contains the following:
A “live with order” – this sets out with whom a child is to live; and,
A “spend time with order” – this sets out when a child is to spend time with the other parent.
It is possible for a “lives with” order to be put in place that the child shall live with both parents. Living with both parents does not necessarily mean that the child shall live with the parents on an equal number of days or nights.
As well as the living arrangements for the child, CAOs can also specify issues such as:
Any indirect contact that the child will have with a particular parent, such as phone calls, video calls, or letters.
How school holidays will be shared.
How ‘special days’ such as birthdays, religious holidays or Mother’s / Father’s day will be spent.
Guidelines as to how parents will communicate with each other regarding the child, for example on a parenting app.
This is a non-exhaustive list, and Orders are very much tailored to the needs of that particular child.
Our family law solicitors offer an initial free consultation, which you can book by emailing us at family@mincoffs.co.uk, or call our expert team on 0191 281 6151 today.
