A Mansfield solicitor has offered advice on a change to the Children’s and Families Act in relation to parent’s involvement in the lives of their children.

The new law will require family courts to presume that each parent in a child’s life will further their welfare if it is safe to do so. However, the needs of a child will always be paramount.

Nick Aspley, head of family law at Marchants Solicitors, which has offices in Mansfield and Kirkby, said the change is intended to encourage parents to be more focused on the needs of their children following separation and in the role each parent plays in their children’s life.

“This is not about giving parents, especially fathers, new rights of 50/50 share of the time children spend with their parents , but is an attempt by the government to ensure that both parents play an important role in their children’s lives both before and after separation,” he said.