The Children and Families Act 2014 came into force on 22nd April 2014.
Contrary to media speculation and some public expectation the Children and Families Act did not go as far as to introduce a presumption of ‘shared parenting’ What it did do however was to seek to amend the Children Act 1989 by introducing a presumption of continued parental involvement. This change in the law was intended to highlight the principle that both parents play an important role in the lives of their children.
However, although the Children and Families Act 2014 came into force on 22nd April 2014 the provision which introduces this presumption has not yet come in to force.
When does this change come into force?
No indication has been given as to when the presumption of continued parental involvement will come into force.
However, it has long been accepted in the family Courts that a child’s welfare is best served by having as full as possible a relationship with both parents, unless there is a good reason why this should not be so. On this basis, the Orders that are likely to be made when the provision actually comes into force are unlikely to be largely different from the Orders that are being made at present.
If you have any questions about applications relating to children then you should contact our friendly and experienced family team on 02920 470909.