A Child Arrangements Order is an order that regulates where and with whom a child lives and spends time. It has replaced ‘Residence and Contact’ orders and ‘Custody and Access’ orders. It is possible for a child to live with more than one parent and in two separate locations; when this arrangement is endorsed by the court the court makes a joint ‘Lives With’ order. It does not automatically mean that the child spends equal time with each parent.

An order delineating that a child spends time with a parent can take many forms. It can require the time to be supervised or supported by third parties and may take the form of blocks of days, overnights, daytime visits and individual contact via telephone, letter, cards as well as via digital communication platforms, such as Facetime, Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp etc.

Child arrangements sanctioned by the court are always determined by what is perceived by the court to be in the best interests of the child(ren). The child’s welfare is the court’s paramount consideration.