Families are becoming increasingly international and multicultural. Increased travel and working opportunities have led to wonderful opportunities and connections between people from different countries and cultures intermarrying, forming relationships and starting families.
This is great, when it’s great. However, it’s complicated when it’s not great.
Increasingly children are being moved between jurisdictions. This can be done by consent, or as a result of parental child abduction.
This is a niche area of the law that we at Best solicitors are leading experts in.
We support families when:
Their child has been abducted – either taken out of or brought into – the UK without their permission.
Or
Their child has been taken to another country without their consent, this is considered in law as child abduction, even if it’s a parent that has taken the child.
There are three parties to each of these cases:
• The left behind parents, ( they are still in a foreign justification and the child has been brought to England and Wales).
• The parent who has brought the child to England and Wales
• The child
Leading in how to support and guide any one of these parties is an area of the law that we specialise in and have done for over 20 years.
It our job to look after parents and children in complicated international situations.
What does this look like?
Firstly, we will be swift and efficient. If needed, we have translators available 24/7 to help us communicate and ensure we understand your case and if we can help.
If instructed we can then make an immediate application for public funding to pay for your case.
Then we work with you. We have a professional, yet friendly approach, we don’t use Jargon, we understand how complicated and emotional these cases can be, and we use our expertise and people skills to find a resolution.
As well as being there for parents and children in these situations, we also consider it our job to support other lawyers within this field and, one of the ways we do this is through the CALA (Child Abduction Lawyers’ Association).
Best have been passionate advocates and members of CALA since its inception 10 years ago.
It started with a small group of child abduction lawyers meeting in England to discuss whether it would be useful to have an association specifically for Child Abduction Lawyers, the answer was unanimously yes.
We were there then and, now, as we mark 10 years it’s a great time to highlight what and why the CALA is and how we work with them to support our clients.
From 5 initial members, CALA has grown substantially and are committed to sharing information, ideas, and maintaining the high standards of the profession.
The specific aims of CALA are:
1. To formalise the informal network of child abduction lawyers that already exists:
2. To improve and maintain high standards of service in matters involving child abduction;
3. To be the collective voice of child abduction lawyers in relation to proposed legislation or Family Division changes to practice and procedure.
4. To improve the links and communication between child abduction lawyers in England and Wales and similar specialists throughout the world.
It’s not just the CALA that we are a member of. We are members of the International Child Abduction & Contact Unit panel of solicitors (ICACU). We work closely with Reunite – the leading UK charity specialising in the movement of children across international borders. We are also able to act in cases involving the Hague Convention, Pakistani Protocol or the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
If you need advice or support in this area please contact us on 0114 281 3636.
Read more about child abduction, CALA
or
Read more about child abduction and child relocation in the UK – England and Wales.