If you are looking after a child who is not yours, or your child is being looked after by a third party i.e a family member or a foster carer, an application can be made to the Court for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)

SGO are made when the Court consider that a child cannot be cared for by their parents and are to remain with the Special Guardians for the remainder of their childhood.

Once made, the SGO gives Parental Responsibility (PR) to the Special Guardians, allowing day to day decisions for the child to be made.  Unlike Adoption, an SGO does not remove PR from parents but does allow the Special Guardians to make welfare decisions for the child, even if at times this may conflict with the wishes of the parents.

An application for an SGO can be made directly to the Court by private individuals, or can be made alongside Care and Supervision proceedings.

In some instances for Special Guardianship applications, Legal Aid may be available to you if you can satisfy the Legal Aid Agency that you qualify on financial grounds and that your case has merits.

In all other Special Guardianship matters, Hepburn Delaney offer competitive hourly rates.  Your costs will vary depending upon your circumstances and we will keep you informed of the likely costs throughout, which will be tailored to your individual case.

There are occasions when the Local Authority will assist with legal fees.  Hepburn Delaney are happy to liaise with the Local Authority in this regard, provided that you have confirmation in advance that they are willing to provide this support.

If you are considering making an application for Special Guardianship, or an application has been made in respect of your child, please contact us at the office.  We will give you expert advice on the application and how to fund your legal advice.

To contact us, please:

Call us on 01442 218090

Send an email to info@hepburndelaney.co.uk

Click on the link to the right and Contact the Children Team