Children Act 1989: Primary legislation governing child arrangements in England and Wales. Contains the welfare principle stating child's best interests are paramount, defines parental responsibility and rights, and provides the welfare checklist.
Family Law Act 1996: Legislation covering domestic arrangements and protection measures in family situations. Relevant for including safeguarding provisions in custody agreements.
Child Arrangements Programme (CAP): Official guidance framework for making out-of-court arrangements for children. Provides structure for private child arrangement agreements.
Human Rights Act 1998: Particularly Article 8 regarding the right to respect for private and family life. Must be considered when drafting custody arrangements.
Equality Act 2010: Contains non-discrimination provisions that must be respected in custody arrangements. Ensures fair treatment regardless of protected characteristics.
Children and Families Act 2014: Modern legislation updating provisions for child arrangements and including mediation requirements for family disputes.
CAFCASS Guidelines: Best practice guidelines from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service for making child arrangements.
Welfare Checklist: Statutory checklist from Children Act 1989 considering factors such as child's wishes, physical/emotional needs, effect of changes, age/background, and potential harm risks.
Parental Responsibility Principles: Legal principles defining rights, duties, and responsibilities of parents in relation to their children's upbringing and care.
Shared Care Arrangements: Legal framework for establishing and maintaining shared care between parents, including residence and contact arrangements.
