Children: the Judge’s decision

The paramount consideration for the Judge is the welfare of your child.

In order to assess this, the Judge will go through the welfare checklist set out in the Children Act 1989, namely:

• the wishes and feelings of the child concerned in view of their age and understanding
• the child's physical, emotional and educational needs
• the likely effect on the child of any change in circumstances
• the child's age, sex, background and any other characteristic that the court considers relevant
• any harm the child has suffered or is at risk of suffering
• how capable each of the child’s parents and any other relevant person are of meeting the child's needs.

Family law solicitors

To arrange a discussion with a family law solicitor click here or call us on 0800 840 4929. We are available to take your call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.