Children Act 1989: Primary legislation governing child arrangements in England and Wales. Key sections include Section 1 (welfare principle - child's best interests are paramount), Section 8 (Child Arrangements Orders), and Section 3 (parental responsibility definitions and scope).
Family Law Act 1996: Legislation covering domestic proceedings and protective measures for children in family law cases. Provides framework for handling domestic issues that may impact custody arrangements.
Child Arrangements Programme (CAP) 2014: Practice guidance document setting out court procedures and protocols for resolving disputes about child arrangements, including detailed procedural requirements for custody cases.
Human Rights Act 1998: Incorporates Article 8 of ECHR into UK law, protecting the right to respect for private and family life, which must be considered in custody arrangements.
Adoption and Children Act 2002: Contains important modifications to Children Act 1989 and additional provisions regarding parental responsibility, relevant for custody arrangements.
Children and Families Act 2014: Modern legislation introducing changes to family justice system, including replacement of residence/contact orders with child arrangement orders and emphasis on shared parenting.
Brussels II bis Regulation: EU regulation governing cross-border family matters, relevant for cases with international elements (historically significant, with modified application post-Brexit).
Hague Convention on Child Abduction: International treaty providing framework for handling international child abduction cases and cross-border custody disputes.
