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If you can’t agree an arrangement with the other parent, there are several options open to you.
Mediation is where a trained professional will talk to you and the other parent, individually or together, to help you both agree an arrangement.
Contact National Family Mediation on 01392 271610 or if you live in Scotland Relationships Scotland www.familymediationscotland.org.uk to find out more.
If mediation is unsuitable, or does not work, then you can apply for a court order. Most cases involving children are settled by agreement at an early stage as this can save a lot of the legal costs of getting a court order. You may be entitled to financial help through legal aid.
Contact the Community Legal Advice Helpline on 0845 345 4345 or the Law Society of Scotland if you live in Scotland on 0131 226 7411.
Contact centres are places away from the family home where parents can restart and maintain contact with their children during and after family break-up.
The contact centres mainly belong to the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC), a national charity. There are 270 centres in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and parents can use them as a place to collect and return their child without meeting the other parent.
Contact NACCC on 0845 4500 280 to find out more.
