Understand Your Situation
Securing financial support for children, specifically for unmarried parents or cases where standard maintenance is insufficient.
While the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) handles standard weekly payments, Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 allows for additional financial claims. This is often used to secure a home for the child, a lump sum for specific needs (like a car or school fees), or 'top-up' maintenance if the other parent is a high earner. This ensures that children are provided for regardless of whether their parents were ever married.
Legislation & Rights
A confidential consultation identifies whether a Schedule 1 claim is the appropriate path to secure long-term financial stability for a child.
Plan Your Defence
Unlike matrimonial finance, Schedule 1 claims are focused strictly on the needs of the child rather than the parent. In many cases, property is held in trust for the child until they reach 18, at which point it may return to the paying parent. Legal representation is required to assess the earning capacity of the other party and to present a detailed case for the child's financial requirements to the court.
Defence & Evidence
Expert legal advice ensures that all financial needs—from housing to education—are forensically calculated and presented to the court.
Legal Aid Availability
For many criminal matters, from police station interviews to Crown Court trials, public funding (Legal Aid) may be available to cover your legal costs.
Eligibility is determined by the seriousness of the case and, in some instances, a means assessment. Our team will conduct an immediate, confidential assessment of your eligibility to ensure that financial constraints do not stand in the way of a robust defence.
