Adoption and Special Guardianship

Whether you are a birth parent, a stepparent, grandparent or adopter, our experienced solicitors can help and support you, at the beginning or wherever you are in the process.

Securing a child’s welfare

When a child cannot live with their birth parents, or it is important for a partner or spouse to be legally recognized in a child’s life, the Court can make various orders

Adoption Orders and Special Guardianship Orders are especially important.

These special Orders firstly protect the welfare of children and regulate the legal right within family relationships.

Woman walking along a beach holding hands with a small child.

Adoption vs special guardianship: what you need to know

An Adoption Order is a Court Order that makes a person or couple the child’s legal parents. A Special Guardianship Order (SGO) is a Court Order appointing one or more individuals as a child’s special guardian.

There are important differences between these Orders, and we will advise and guide you on this so you can understand the most appropriate option for you.

The Local Authority will likely play a key role in your case.  We can help and advise you throughout the process, so you know what to expect. Checks will be made to ascertain your suitability including police record and background checks, home visits, interviews with you and the child (if old enough) and sometimes birth parents.  There will also be an assessment of your parenting capacity, health, finances, and support network.

This stage can feel intrusive and lengthy, but it’s a key part of the process and we will be with you every step of the way.

What to expect

We will need to meet with you to understand the facts.  We will advise you if your goals are possible and suggest alternatives, if appropriate. We will help you decide option for you and your family, the child’s welfare always being the priority.

If you decide to proceed, we will make the application on your behalf. The court will focus on the child’s long-term stability and security, your ability to meet the child’s needs until adulthood and your existing relationship with the child and  the risk of returning the child to parental care as well as the proposed contact arrangements with birth parents.

The birth parents will also be given an opportunity to either support or oppose the application or otherwise remain neutral.

Straightforward cases can take several months to conclude and when disputed they can take much longer.  However, we are here to guide and support you throughout the process.

Our commitments to you

Our team of experienced family solicitors are ready to help you.

We look after you

We understand that you’re going through a tough time, and we’re here to support you through it.

Our lawyers are available to talk to you whenever you need it.

We keep you informed

It can be stressful waiting for information.

We don’t keep you waiting. As soon as we have progress, we let you know straight away.

We help you understand

Legal matters can be complex.

We’ll explain everything to you and guide you through the process so that you know what’s happening.

Fees

  • We offer a free initial telephone or video meeting to discuss your situation and provide a bespoke estimate.

    Our fees vary from case to case and are tailored to your individual circumstances.

Testimonials

“In all aspects of the issues that occurred we couldn’t have asked for better service And would highly recommend her to anyone seeking or requiring legal advice or services in any and all matters.”

CarlaSeptember 2025

“Louise, I can’t thank you enough. What felt like such a stressful, overwhelming process became manageable with your support. You were clear, reassuring, and always on my side. You achieved the result I had been hoping for and that’s been a huge relief!”

AnonymousJune 2025

“From my first telephone call, Alison provided an excellent service, going beyond what I expected. It was a very difficult, stressful time and her understanding and reassurance eased my concerns. Alison is a great listener and provides very clear explanations of options, implications and likely outcomes, which was so important for someone like me, without any experience on legal matters. Above all, Alison was always there for when I needed legal advice, responding promptly to my many queries and giving me the encouragement that I needed towards achieving a satisfactory settlement. With her invaluable help and empathy that objective was achieved.”

AnonymousMarch 2025
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Get in touch.

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