Social Services & Care Proceedings Solicitors

Care proceedings are frightening. It is very difficult and stressful when social services are involved with your family and you may feel powerless when dealing with professional people, meetings and court hearings in care proceedings. It is devastating to think your child could be removed from you.

We will be on your side and guide you through the process. We will give sensible and clear advice that gives you the best chance of achieving what you want for you and your children.

Social services

We can advise and support you right from when a social worker first gets in touch with you. Wherever possible we will attend meetings with you.

In cases where the local authority applies for a court order on your children (usually called care proceedings) we will help you get legal aid and represent you at court hearings. We will speak up for you during the court assessment process. We understand how important it is for you to have workable contact arrangements with your children if they are not living with you and we will involve the court to achieve this wherever necessary.

We have experience representing parents and other family members in all sorts of situations which lead to care proceedings. These include cases where the local authority is concerned children are being neglected and where family members are accused of injuring or abusing children.

Complex situations and allegations

We have successfully represented people facing allegations they have deliberately injured their children and helped them be reunited with their children. We have extensive experience in all of  the complex situations which can occur such as allegations of shaken baby syndrome, and cases involving complex and conflicting medical evidence including fabricated or induced illness as well as cases involving allegations of all forms of abuse.

Our experience means we are often instructed by Children’s Guardians to represent children in care proceedings.

As well as acting for parents we also represent other family members such as grandparents, uncles and aunts who want to care for children.

Our highly skilled and experienced team includes seven SRA Children Panel members who have approaching 100 years of Children Panel experience. These solicitors are accredited by the SRA as specialists in this area.

If you need advice get in touch with our family law solicitors via our contact us page.

If you’re looking for further advice on child services, have a look at our child arrangements, child protection, child custody mediation and child support pages.