One Family believes in an Ireland where every family is cherished equally, and is enabled to enjoy the social, financial and legal equality to create their own positive futures.
Making a Will It is always a good idea to make a will. If you are a single parent, and the sole guardian of your child or children, it is particularly important. When you make a will, you choose an executor; someone trustworthy and competent who can look after your affairs after you die. That person […]
Collaborative Law Collaborative law is a form of alternative dispute resolution, or ADR. Other dispute resolution mechanisms included mediation. Unlike mediation, collaborative law is lead by legal professionals. It is a way to resolve a dispute or difference between people, using legal professionals, but without going to court. Collaborative law is a specialist area […]
What is Guardianship? Guardianship is a legal term for the rights and responsibilities that a parent has in relation to their child. These responsibilities include the duty to financially maintain and care for the child. They also include the right to make decisions in important areas of the child’s life such as how they are […]
Maintenance Orders – The Practicalities To seek maintenance the applicant will present at the District court at the public counter and they will get a case number They will need to give the full name and address of the respondent They will be called to the interview room to meet with 1 staff member. They […]
Family Law Matters and Legal Representation Family mediation can help parents to make decisions about how certain things will work following relationship breakdown. Where it is possible, it is preferable to legal proceedings as it is generally less stressful and is a good way to work out arrangements for children and parenting in particular. It […]
Court Reports in Family Law A change to the Irish Constitution, following the 2012 referendum, made it a requirement (in circumstances where children are of requisite age and maturity) for the “voice of the child” to be heard by the court in proceedings which affect them. The judge must take their views into account, while […]
Enforcement Order If a parent or guardian has been granted access or custody to a child, and that access or custody has been unreasonably denied, an “enforcement order” may be obtained. This is a new provision of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (Section 18A), inserted by section 60 of the Children and Family Relationships […]
How to decide custody and access There are a number of ways to decide how the care of the children will work between two parents. Arrangements may be: arranged informally between the parents, worked out in mediation, and then made a rule of court, or the arrangements can be decided by the Court. If the […]
Custody and Access – Legal Issues Custody Custody is having responsibility for the day-to-day care of a child or children. Deciding about custody is deciding where the child or children will live, and with whom. Where one parent has the majority of the care of the children, that is, when the children spend more than […]
Pensions can be very valuable assets, and if you or your spouse/civil partner/qualified cohabitant have been paying into a pension for a long time, it could represent a significant amount in terms of the overall assets of the family. Pension entitlements of the parties to a divorce or separation need to be set out in […]
When you are preparing for a judicial separation or divorce, you will have to look at any assets you may have (property, savings and/or investments); as these will be divided between the parties. You will also need to look at your income, and your outgoings in order to come up with a budget for the […]
Separation and Divorce Types of Separation When a marriage or civil partnership ends,there are practical things that need to be decided such as the division of any property and money; where everyone will live, how much time the children will spend with each parent, where that will happen, and how shared parenting will work.Attending to […]
Family Law In this section we provide some information on legal matters that may arise for people who are parenting alone, and for parents and guardians who are separating, or have separated, following relationship breakdown. It is important to note that the content here is not legal advice, and that it may be necessary to […]
Other funding sources St. Vincent De Paul Saint Vincent de Paul has an education fund which you can apply for if you are returning to education. The grant does not apply to private colleges or training centres and will not be an option for those who already hold a degree or post-graduate qualifications. The amount […]
Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Student Grant Scheme The student grant is the main source of financial help available from the Irish State for students in full-time Post Leaving Certificate Courses (PLCs) and full-time higher education undergraduate courses. Support is available to eligible students in approved PLC centres, colleges and universities in Ireland. For eligible […]
Business Supports In addition to income support (your weekly payment), you can also get financial support with the costs of setting up your business. These supports are provided under a scheme called the Enterprise Support Grant (ESG). You can only get the ESG if you have been approved for the BTWEA. The business plan you submit […]
Short Term Enterprise Allowance The Short Term Enterprise Allowance is available to people who are receiving Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB)or Jobseeker’s Benefit Self-Employed (JBSE)and wish to start their own business. You do not have to be receiving Jobseeker’s Benefit or Jobseeker’s Benefit Self-Employed for a specified period of time to qualify. You cannot avail of […]
Back to Work Enterprise Allowance The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) is a scheme available to people who want to become self-employed and have been receiving certain social welfare payments for at least twelve months. You must be setting up as self-employed in a business that has been approved in advance in writing by […]
Supports to start your own business If you are getting certain social welfare payments and you want to become self-employed, you may be eligible for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, or the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance. It is important to note that if you are self-employed and in receipt of Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) then the weekly […]
In-work Supports If you want to get back to work, or you are already working, there are a number of financial supports available, depending on various factors like how many hours you work, the age of your children or your level of income. You will find lots of useful information in our Money section including information on Working […]
Employment Schemes There are a number of employment schemes to help unemployed people return to work. They are aimed at people who have been on certain social welfare payments for a certain period of time. Each scheme has different eligibility criteria, so make sure you check the full details of any scheme you are interested […]
Employment One Family understand the experience of parenting alone and sharing parenting, and how it can often be challenging finding employment and returning to work while balancing your parenting responsibilities. This can be a daunting experience, but it can also be a very positive one. Finding out what supports are available to you is a great starting point. There are many options available for those considering a return to […]
Education and Training Resources The following are some links to further information available for those who wish to pursue education and training or develop new skills: The Qualifax website is a good source of information on available courses. If you are thinking about going back to education but you are not sure what courses are available […]
Education & Training Programmes One Family Employability Programmes The One Family Programmes Service provides adult education and training to people parenting alone or sharing parenting. The service aims to develop and provide a range of best practice programmes that empower people to take the next steps into education or work. Our free education programmes – New […]
