Can a child be taken to Nigeria for the summer? Can a grandmother in Jamaica look after the children for a year? Can a father move the family to Lahore for work? Family law solicitors in Croydon answer questions like these every week, because the borough's families are spread across continents and the law on taking a child abroad is strict: without the agreement of everyone with parental responsibility, or a court order, a trip can be abduction, and a parent who fears it can obtain a prohibited steps order quickly. Where a child has already gone, the remedies depend on which country they are in.
The everyday work is the same as anywhere, at Croydon's scale. Separated parents need arrangements for the children and must attend a mediation information and assessment meeting before applying to court, unless abuse or urgency makes that inappropriate. Croydon's children's services bring care proceedings in numbers that reflect the borough's size; parents facing them have legal aid regardless of income and should use it from the first letter. Non-molestation and occupation orders are obtained at the family court in Croydon, usually within days, and legal aid covers them; the same solicitor can advise on housing and any immigration consequences. Unmarried couples who separate find that the house goes with the deeds and that the children's needs are dealt with under a different, narrower law.
Family cases from the borough are heard in Croydon, a busy centre, so a solicitor who knows its listing patterns is worth having.
Fees are hourly for contested work and fixed for agreements, with a free or low-cost first meeting at many firms.
Family law firms near Croydon are listed below, verified firms first. See what family law covers and the general family law solicitors page; the divorce itself is under divorce solicitors in Croydon, and immigration law explains the status questions that often sit alongside family cases.
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