Pre Proceedings

If you have received a “Letter Before Proceedings” you should contact a Solicitor immediately to secure legal representation.

If you receive one of these letters your Local Authority is very worried that your child is not being looked after properly or is out of control. The Local Authority is considering whether to ask a court if your child should be taken into care.

If you want to have a say in how your child is looked after you must show your local authority that you understand why they are concerned and that you will do something about it.

Contact us if you have received a “letter before proceedings”. We will assist you immediately and can attend your pre-proceedings meeting with you to help you get your view across.

The law about when a child can be taken into care is very complicated. We will explain it to you and make sure your local authority is following the law.

We can also assist you if:

• You have already attended meetings with social services and you have an agreement with them;
• The local authority is applying to court for permission to take your child into care, or
• Your child has been taken into care and you want to arrange contact with them.
• In certain circumstances it is possible to discharge care orders or placement orders and our solicitors can advise you on when that might be appropriate.