Child Law Solicitors in Scotland
- Specialist child law solicitors advising on custody, residence, contact and parental rights in Scotland
- Focused on outcomes that protect children's welfare and reflect their best interests
- Contact our family law team for expert, empathetic legal support
Child-focused advice that is clear about your rights, the evidence and the practical options.
Disputes about children can escalate quickly, particularly when communication has broken down or one parent fears losing time with a child. We help parents and other family members understand the Scottish legal framework and take steps that protect the child rather than deepen the conflict.
People often search for “child custody” advice. In Scotland, the principal legal concepts are parental responsibilities and rights and section 11 orders, including residence, contact and specific issue orders. We use plain language while making sure the legal position is accurate.
A team with extensive experience across the full range of family law.
Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with telephone and video appointments available throughout Scotland.
Focused advice from a family solicitor, followed by a written assessment and a tailored fee estimate.
A dedicated family law team handling everything from straightforward separation to complex financial and child law disputes.
What Children and Parenting Services Do We Offer?
At Kee Solicitors, we put the welfare of children at the heart of everything we do. Our specialist team advises on all aspects of child law in Scotland, from contact and residence arrangements to parental rights, adoption and child protection, supporting families through some of life’s most difficult decisions.
How Scottish courts decide residence, contact and other child law disputes.
The child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration. The court must also consider the child’s views, taking account of age and maturity, and should not make an order unless doing so is better for the child than making no order. There is no automatic preference for a mother or father.
We advise on agreed parenting arrangements, child contact and residence, parental responsibilities and rights, fathers’ rights, grandparents’ applications, relocation, holidays abroad, schooling, medical decisions, adoption and international child abduction. Where safety is an issue, we can also advise on interdicts and other protective orders.
Many cases can be resolved through focused correspondence, negotiation, mediation or a detailed parenting plan. Where agreement is not safe or possible, we prepare applications and defences under section 11 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and represent clients throughout the court process.
Our Dedicated Team of Family Law Experts
Advice at every stage, from first arrangements to variation or enforcement of an existing order.
We advise when arrangements are first being discussed, when an informal pattern has broken down, when an application must be defended and when an existing order needs to be varied or enforced. We will tell you which issues require legal action, which can be managed practically and what evidence will matter. Communications and proposals remain child-focused, but we act firmly where contact is obstructed, a move is threatened or a child may be at risk.
With offices in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh and remote appointments throughout Scotland, we can advise wherever your child is based, subject to the court’s jurisdiction.
Our one-hour fixed-fee initial consultation costs £250 + VAT. You will receive focused advice from a family solicitor, a written assessment of your position and a tailored estimate for any further work.
Hear Directly From Kee Solicitor Experts
Frequently Asked Questions: Children and Parenting Law in Scotland
Common questions about child law and parenting arrangements in Scotland.
Who has parental responsibilities and rights in Scotland?
The person who gives birth is the child’s legal mother and normally has PRRs. A father may have them through marriage to the mother, registration on the birth certificate for births registered from 4 May 2006, a statutory agreement or court order. Other legal parents can acquire them under the applicable parenthood rules.
What is a residence order?
A residence order is a section 11 order regulating where and with whom a child lives. The court can make arrangements involving one or more homes; the label does not itself require an equal division of time.
What is a contact order?
A contact order regulates personal relations and direct or indirect contact between a child and another person. It can cover overnight stays, daytime contact, calls, messages, letters or supported and supervised arrangements.
What is the no-order principle?
The court should not make a section 11 order unless it considers that making the order is better for the child than making no order. It does not prevent intervention where an order is needed for clarity, safety or welfare.
How does the court decide what is best for a child?
The child’s welfare is the paramount consideration. The court considers a wide range of factors including the child’s own views where appropriate, the nature and quality of the child’s relationships with each parent, and the ability of each parent to meet the child’s needs.
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