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Care Proceedings & Social Services

We advise parents, other relatives, children and foster carers in cases where social services are involved.

Social services have a duty to try to keep children within their birth families, either with their parents, or if this is not possible, within the extended family.

We can advise extended family members on what they can do to ensure that they are assessed by social services as carers for children whose parents are not able to look after them. You may need to apply for a “Special Guardianship order” so that the child can stay with you, and is not adopted outside of the family.

If there are emergency proceedings regarding your children where social services have applied to take your child into care we can see you extremely quickly and represent you at court under the legal aid scheme. Parents, children and people with parental responsibility will be entitled to “free” legal aid, irrespective of their means.

We have solicitors who are members of the Law Society’s Children Panel which means that they are specialists in representing children and parents involved in care proceedings.

We can advise you about duties that social services have towards your family, how to make a complaint and whether you can sue the Local Authority. We will advise you as to the effect of the Human Rights Act on your right to private and family life.