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What is a special guardianship order?
Sometimes there is a crisis in the family home, and it is necessary for the children to be looked after by someone else, often a close friend or family member.
read moreIn most cases, this is for a short time; in others, a more permanent solution is needed. At this point, a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) may be considered.
Applying for an SGO is a big decision, and it’s important to get the right information and support before deciding to apply.
Our experienced child law solicitors offer clear, sound legal advice on SGOs and can talk you through the considerations you need to make before deciding if this is the correct order for you and the child.
We will help you to obtain a Special Guardianship assessment, draft the application to the court and attend the court hearings that follow.
Key child law information
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What is a child arrangements order? |
A child arrangements order is a court order determining who cares for a child. It specifies:
The order can also include other types of contact, such as phone calls, video calls, and letters. |
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What is child maintenance? |
Child maintenance is a payment from one parent to another to cover living expenses. Ideally, parents agree on the amount and what it covers themselves. If not, they can apply to the Child Maintenance Service(CMS),a government agency that arranges and collects maintenance payments. |
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What child custody laws might you and your partner need to resolve? |
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Our child law services
How to apply for a special guardianship order?
You will need to go through an assessment programme by your local authority’s children’s services department to ensure that an SGO is in the child’s best interests. They will investigate and prepare a report for the court.
read moreYou can make an application for an order here and a supporting statement on the Government website.
However, the laws surrounding SGOs are complex, and we strongly recommend that you seek legal advice
Meet our expert child law solicitors
We offer an award winning service
Special guardianship orders are crucial for providing stable care arrangements outside of traditional parenting. Our team excels in navigating the legal intricacies, ensuring secure and supportive environments for children under these unique circumstances.
Why choose Stowe Family Law?
As the only national law firm fully dedicated to family matters, our expert team offers professional advice so you can make a fully informed decision about your divorce.
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We feature in The Legal 500 rankings and are fully authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
We keep you informed. Take a look at our support section, which features a range of helpful guides, focusing on important topics including finances and mediation.
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Hi Joanna ... Thank you very much for all your help, understanding and support through all of this. You dealt with my ex brilliantly and, as you say, got the result we wanted! Such a relief. I must also pass on my thanks and appreciation to Jemma who was showed me lots of compassion on that first phone call and held my hand through those beginning … Read morestages. Stowe's holistic ethos was such a revelation and I got lots of brilliant advice and therapy as a result of using your company. Thanks again.Let's ask Anon
The team you manage have been fantastic with my cases. I moved solicitors and I was very nervous at whether I had done the right thing as it was a big decision. But after meeting Jake and how he listened to me and his no nonsenses attitude which I needed, I felt a lot more at ease. And his quick turnaround to take my cases on to putting a CAO in pl… Read moreace last Friday that Ella sorted out for me and kept me in the loop all the way until it was filled with the court. And today Michelle for jumping straight on things while Jake was on leave and getting Ella to deal with the issue where I found my wife was trying to sell sentimental items on Facebook marketplace. Ella quickly responded and dealt with the situation in my opinion perfectly, and the items have been taken down by her now, again she kept me in the loop every step of the way which I really need at the minute. You have an amazing team and I feel very well looked after and I now believe I will get what I and my girls need through all this I know it will take some time, but I have faith in your team you have and trust them.Let's ask Mr A
Having received a devastating blow that my ex-wife was planning to relocate with our daughter I researched lawyers and as soon as I spoke to Rebecca (Calden Storr) her calm, professional and reassuring nature made the decision to pick Stowe Family Law easy. Rebecca held our hand throughout the process and I can't recommend her highly enough. She ex… Read moreplains everything in simple terms so we fully understood everything happening and her advice was second to none. As a father, you are sometimes made to feel like the underdog but Rebecca never did this and reassured me that we had a good case. Most importantly we achieved an end result that reflected our daughter's wishes and meant that my time with her has increased to shared care. My partner and I couldn't be happier. Thank youLet's ask Mr Ryan Smith
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Kate Sarsfield has been absolutely brilliant. She is very professional, friendly, supportive and understanding and totally cared for me and my case during one of the worst periods in my life. She dealt with my divorce and difficult child arrangements. Kate was always available to answer all my questions. Knowing that she was behind me gave me the s… Read moretrength and confidence to carry on. I always felt in safe hands. I would definitely and highly recommend Kate to anyone in a similar situation. I will not hesitate to ask her for help again if necessary in the future. Thank you Kate.Let's ask Ms M H
Charlotte Brown and the team at Stowe Family Law have been brilliant since day 1. When I came to them I had been contemplating self representation due to costs, but allowing them to help has been worth every penny. When I instructed Charlotte I was depleted and terrified, dealing with a very difficult ex partner and on my own in the UK with no fam… Read moreily support. Charlotte was calm and patient throughout every hurdle and was a listening ear many times. I felt very much shielded from conflict as well as far as possible which I am extremely grateful for. Stowe also have an excellent range of barristers and the ones we used were extremely professional, excellent negotiators and worked to help find logical solutions that would get us closer to the last step. Charlotte alongside the barristers were especially good at also helping me see the bigger picture rather than just telling me what I wanted to hear which in turn has led to a very positive outcome. I still have the last order to get to but we're pretty much there and the solution is the best one for my daughter which was the main focus every step of the way.Let's ask Mrs H
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