Contracted with the Legal Aid Agency
Family is regularly regarded as one of the most important things in peoples’ lives -
This makes family issues one of the most distressing situations you can find yourself in, especially when children are involved.
Family
Family & Childcare
Family Department (Direct Line: 0151 430 2805)
Care
We regularly act for children (via their legal guardians at CAFCASS) and for parents where a care order has been applied for by the Local Authority. A care order gives the local authority shared parental responsibility of the child and can lead to the making of a placement order.
Supervision
Providing representation where children are to be placed under the supervision of the Local Authority or a Probation Officer during the course of care proceedings.
Residence
These orders are made where there is a dispute about where a child lives. The court will take the child’s welfare into consideration whilst making the decision
Contact
These orders set out the arrangements for contact between the child and another person who is named in the order
Placement
Placement orders give a local authority authorisation to place a child for adoption. They can be made either with parental consent or without, where the court decides that it would be best for the child’s welfare that consent be dispensed with.
Special Guardianship
This is where a person takes on the responsibility of caring for a child until they reach the age of 18. Special guardianship gives the carer parental responsibility of the child and is often applied for where parents have difficulties of their own or are unlikely to have the child returned to their care.
Emergency Protection Order (EPO)
An EPO is a short term order which is used to protect the welfare of a child where there is significant risk of harm. They can be applied for with or without giving notice to the parents.
Whatever your particular issue may be, our family department will do their very best to assist you. With six members of the Law Society’s Children Panel and over 25 years experience, you can rest assured that you’ll be in safe hands with Hogans.
Some of the main areas of law we cover are listed below. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, please contact a member of our team to see if we can help.
Meet our family team
Specific Issue
Usually applied for as a result of a family dispute, the court will make an order which says what must be done to settle the specific issue in question.
Prohibited Steps
A prohibited steps order is one that the court issues to prevent an action being taken that would otherwise be allowed by someone with parental responsibility.
Discharge of Orders
Applications can be made to the court to discharge previously made orders. In many circumstances the court will need to see substantially improved changes to discharge the order.
Parental Responsibility
PR is automatic for mothers from the day a child is born. Fathers usually have PR if they are married to the child’s mother or are listed on the birth certificate. It allows you to make decisions about the child’s upbringing, education, medical treatment etc. If a father doesn’t have PR and the mother doesn’t provide consent, it can be applied for through the making of a court order. Speak to one of our team for more information.
Divorce
If your marriage has broken down and the only option left is divorce, speak to one of our team who can offer advice and assistance with the necessary legal details. For more details about our fixed fee divorce costs click here.
From left to right: Colm McLaughlin, Diane Burgess, Gary Hogan, Johanne O’Beirne, Liam Carlen
