Child Care Videos

Date when Video was Published: 01/07/2017

I am a Solicitor specialising in child care law and I work at the Harrow office of Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

A special guardianship order legally secures a child’s placement with carers who are not their parents in circumstances where their parents cannot look after them. Under the order the carers are called special guardians. They are usually family members of the child but do not have to be related to the child and can be single or joint carers. Special guardianship orders are usually the most appropriate order in circumstances where a child will be permanently cared for by a family member as the order makes the family member a guardian of the child and not their legal parent. Before a special guardianship order can be made by the family court, the local authority must prepare a detailed report in respect of the proposed special guardian called a special guardianship assessment.

At Duncan Lewis we have a specialist team of child care lawyers who can guide you through the process of securing a special guardianship order. Our specialists will also represent you in court ensuring you have continuity of representation.

Special Guardian’s are entitled to an assessment by their local authority of the financial and practical support they require in order to look after the child concerned. Our specialists will advise you in respect of the local authority’s support plan and where the plan is not agreed, will negotiate with the local authority to secure a support plan which provides the appropriate amount of support.

If you have been negatively assessed by the local authority then we can scrutinise the local authority special guardianship assessment to identify whether there are gaps in the assessment and if so our specialists can assist you to challenge such an assessment in court.

To speak to one of our experienced lawyers please call on 0207 923 4020 or visit us at: www.duncanlewis.com.  We look forward to hearing from you

Disclaimer

This video content was created on 01/07/2017 to provide an overview of the legal position and the information was correct at the time this video was created. This video has been produced for purposes of generic information and marketing purposes only. While the information on this site is about legal issues, it is not intended as legal advice or as a substitute for the particularised advice of your own legal advisor. Please consult one of our lawyers to provide you with advice and assistance on any matters touched on this video. Viewing of this video does not create legally binding advice and does not create a retainer with Duncan Lewis Solicitors. This video is Copyrighted at Duncan Lewis Solicitors 2017. Any illegal reproduction of this content is prohibited and will result in immediate legal action.