Child Relocation Solicitors
Breakthrough Solicitors provides expert legal support for matters involving child relocation.
Start with a straightforward, free initial consultation with a family lawyer to understand your options.
Owner of Breakthrough Solicitors
Solicitor & Mediator
Father of Two
Why choose Breakthrough Solicitors for child relocation matters?
Relocating with a child — domestically or abroad — is one of the most significant decisions a parent can make, and one that carries serious legal implications.
These situations arise in many circumstances: following a separation, after a new relationship, due to a job opportunity, or simply a desire to be closer to family.
Whatever the reason, if you share parental responsibility for a child, the legality of any move hinges on that parental responsibility.
In England and Wales, relocating internationally without the consent of everyone with parental responsibility — or without a court order — could be a criminal offence.
Even moves within England and Wales can be challenged if they significantly impact a child’s existing arrangements.
At Breakthrough Solicitors, we advise both parents seeking to relocate and those seeking to prevent or respond to a proposed move. Here’s what sets us apart:
- Transparent and trusted: Our positive client feedback reflects our commitment to honest, clear advice — important in relocation matters where family stakes are high.
- Experienced team: With 20+ years of combined experience in family law, our solicitors can advise on all aspects of child relocation, including internal moves, international relocation applications and opposing a proposed move.
- A practical approach: We always look first at whether agreement can be reached — through negotiation or mediation — before considering court proceedings, keeping the focus on the child’s wellbeing throughout.
- Serving clients across England and Wales: We work with clients nationwide. Some meet us remotely, while others visit our offices in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, and London.
- Advice in multiple languages: We offer clear, pragmatic legal advice in English, Hindi, Gujarati, and Cantonese, ensuring nothing gets lost in translation.
- Flexible appointments: Choose between remote video meetings or face-to-face appointments, depending on what suits you best.
- Convenient meeting times:
- Monday – Friday: 8am – 8pm
- Saturday: 9am – 6pm
- Sunday: 11am – 5pm
Speak to a family law solicitor today!
Owner of Breakthrough Solicitors
Solicitor & Mediator
Father of Two
How Breakthrough Solicitors support you with child relocation matters
Whether you are planning a move or responding to one, the approach taken in the early stages can significantly affect the outcome. In many cases, reaching an agreement without court proceedings is possible — and almost always preferable.
At Breakthrough Solicitors, we guide you through the process clearly at every stage:
- Initial consultation: We review your circumstances — including any existing court orders, the nature of the proposed move, and the other parent’s position.
- Negotiation and agreement: Where possible, we help you reach an agreement with the other parent directly or through solicitor-led correspondence.
- Mediation: Where direct negotiation has not been successful, mediation provides a structured environment to explore whether an agreement can be reached — often giving you more control over the outcome.
- Court applications: Where agreement cannot be reached, we advise on the appropriate court application — whether that is a Specific Issue Order (a court order that settles one specific question — here, permission to move your child to a new area or abroad) to permit a move, or an application to prevent one.
- Opposing a relocation: If the other parent is proposing a move you believe is not in your child’s best interests, we advise on the steps available to you.
- International relocation: Where a move abroad is proposed or has already taken place without consent, we act quickly to protect your position — advising you on the relevant domestic or foreign legal frameworks.
Common challenges in child relocation cases — and how we help you prepare
Relocation cases are rarely straightforward, and the outcome depends heavily on how well each parent’s position is presented to the court.
Key ways to strengthen your position:
- Take legal advice: Relocating without consent or a court order can have serious legal consequences, including being ordered to return. If you are planning a move, taking advice before acting protects both you and your child.
- Have a detailed, realistic plan: Courts expect the parent seeking to relocate to demonstrate how the move will work in practice — including schooling, housing, and how the child’s relationship with the other parent will be maintained.
- Understand marital status: Child relocation matters revolve around parental responsibility, not marital status. Whilst separation can be a reason for relocation, you still need the formal consent of everyone else who holds parental responsibility, or a direct order from the court.
- Check any existing court orders carefully: For example, if a Child Arrangements Order is in place, it may already restrict what either parent can do.
- If opposing a move, respond promptly: If you have concerns about a proposed relocation, early legal advice is essential.
- Consider the child’s perspective: Courts will always put the child’s welfare first. Both parents should be able to demonstrate that their position is genuinely motivated by their child’s best interests, rather than their own.
Your rights and options in child relocation matters — and how our solicitors support you
The law does not give either parent an automatic right to relocate with a child. Every case is decided on its own facts, with the child’s welfare as the court’s paramount consideration.
We can help you:
- Obtain the consent of all those with parental responsibility
- Apply for a Specific Issue Order to seek the court’s permission to relocate
- Apply for a Prohibited Steps Order (a court order that stops the other parent doing something — here, moving your child away) to prevent a proposed move where you believe it is not in your child’s best interests
- Oppose a relocation application and present a clear case for why the move would be harmful to your child
- Vary an existing Child Arrangements Order to reflect a proposed change in living arrangements
- Act urgently where a child has been — or is at risk of being — removed without consent
- Explore mediation and negotiated agreements
Speak to a family law solicitor today!
Owner of Breakthrough Solicitors
Solicitor & Mediator
Father of Two
How to start your child relocation matter with Breakthrough Solicitors
Whether you are considering a move or have just learned that the other parent is planning one, taking early legal advice is the single most important step you can take.
Our child relocation solicitors help make it straightforward to get the right guidance quickly.
- Get in touch: Contact us by phone, email, or online enquiry form.
- Free initial consultation (up to 30 minutes): Speak with an experienced family solicitor, understand your options, and ask questions about child relocation — with no obligation.
- Fixed-fee one-hour meeting – £295 (incl. VAT): Meet with Akash Soni and a member of his team to discuss your child relocation case in detail, understand how the law applies to you, and receive a tailored strategy. (We’ll ask for documents in advance for KYC and AML checks.)
- Formal instruction: If you choose to proceed, we will send you a client care letter and request a deposit (usually £500, depending on complexity).
- Ongoing support: Our child relocation solicitors support you throughout the case, keeping you informed at every step.
Flexible Support That Fits Around You
✓ Remote or Face-to-Face Meetings
We offer meetings remotely via video call, or in person at our offices in Amersham, Beaconsfield, Berkhamsted, Chesham, Chorleywood, Gerrards Cross, Harrow, High Wycombe, Mayfair, Milton Keynes, Rickmansworth or The Chalfonts — whichever suits you best.
✓ Advice In Multiple Languages
Support available in English, Cantonese, Hindi, and Gujarati.
✓ Extended Working Hours
Speak to us 7 days a week, including evenings and weekends.
Speak to a family law solicitor today!
Owner of Breakthrough Solicitors
Solicitor & Mediator
Father of Two
Frequently Asked Questions About Child Relocation
What is child relocation?
Child relocation involves moving a child to a new home, either abroad or domestically.
How do I obtain permission to relocate with my child?
You can ask the other parent with parental responsibility for permission in writing. If they are not agreeable, you can make an application to court in order to seek permission to relocate with your child(ren). The Court will usually consider the best interests of the child(ren).
Can I move away with my child without the father’s/mother’s consent in the UK?
If you are moving internationally, you strictly require the written consent of everyone with Parental Responsibility or permission from the court.
If you are moving within the UK, there is no automatic statutory restriction, but if the move significantly disrupts the child’s relationship with their other parent, they can apply to the court for an order to block or reverse the move, even if no prior court orders were in place.
How far away can I move from my child's other parent if we share care of our child(ren)?
There is no specific legal mileage limit. However, if there is an existing Child Arrangements Order in place, your move must not prevent you from complying with the specified contact schedule.
If the distance makes the current routine impossible, you must either get the other parent’s written agreement to change it or apply to the court to vary the order.
Can I stop my child’s mother from moving away under UK law?
If the other parent has moved within the UK with your child(ren) and this breaches an existing Child Arrangements Order, you can apply to the court to enforce the order or seek the return of the child(ren).
If you wish to prevent the other parent from leaving with your child(ren), you can ask the Court for a prohibited steps order.
When can a child decide where they want to live in the UK?
There is no fixed age at which a child can simply decide where they live. The older and more mature a child is, the more weight the court gives to their wishes and feelings.
In practice, a Child Arrangements Order setting out where a child lives usually stops applying once they turn 16 (and only lasts to 18 in exceptional cases), so from around 16 a young person’s own views carry decisive weight — but until then the court decides based on the child’s overall welfare.
How long does a child relocation case take?
Timescales vary with each case. Where the other parent agrees, matters can often be resolved in a matter of weeks through negotiation or mediation.
Where a court application is needed — for a Specific Issue Order to permit a move, or a Prohibited Steps Order to prevent one — a contested relocation case typically takes several months to conclude, depending on the court’s timetable and the issues involved.
Can I take my child abroad on holiday?
Taking a child abroad, even for a short holiday, generally needs the consent of everyone with parental responsibility (or the court’s permission) — and taking a child out of the UK without it can amount to child abduction.
One exception: if you have a “lives with” Child Arrangements Order in your favour, you can usually take the child abroad for up to 28 days without the other parent’s separate consent, unless a court order says otherwise.
What happens in the free consultation?
A 30-minute, no-obligation call where you discuss your situation and options with an experienced family solicitor.
What is the fixed fee meeting?
A one-hour advice session costing £295 (including VAT), where we provide tailored legal advice and a clear strategy going forward.