Family law

The Family law unit’s work is mainly in the following areas:

• Counselling and information
• Custody, residence and contact matters
• Cooperation conferences
• Adoption matters
• Paternity and parenthood matters

Cooperation conferences

Sometimes parents who are separating have difficulties cooperating about their children and agreeing on what is in the children’s best interest regarding custody, residence and contact. In these cases the parents can meet at the Family law unit for what are known as cooperation conferences in order to improve their cooperation about their children and to decide together what is best for them in various matters.

These conferences are voluntary and do not focus on the parents’ relationship but on the children’s situation and on how they as parents can best cooperate on issues that are important in the children’s lives.

Custody, residence and contact

The Family law unit can help parents draw up legally binding agreements regarding custody, residence and contact. Sometimes the dispute between the parents is so serious that it is referred to a court of law, and the court will then often instruct the Family law unit to carry out an inquiry and present a proposal for what will be best for the children regarding e g custody, residence and contact.

Paternity determination

Many residents in the municipality come into contact with us in connection with having children. We examine and determine the paternity of all children whose father is not registered with the Tax Agency.

For children born within a marriage, the man to whom the mother is married is automatically registered as the father of the child. In other cases parents need to contact the Family law unit in order to have paternity determined. Children who move to Sweden from another country and whose fathers are not registered also have to go through a paternity determination procedure at the Family law unit and, if possible, determine paternity and register it with the Tax Agency.

Adoption

The Family law unit also deals with matters regarding adoption. Spouses who are interested in adopting a child can contact the Family law unit for more information. In those cases where a married couple are applying to adopt a child, the Family law unit will carry out an inquiry and make an assessment of the parents’ suitability for becoming adoptive parents.

Opinions

When requested to do so by a court of law, the Family law unit will issue opinions on particular adoption matters and in certain cases concerning children’s surnames, as well as on marriage dispensation matters (when someone under 18 years of age wants to get married).

Contact the Family law unit for more information on any questions you might have regarding the Family law unit’s areas of expertise. Counselling and visits at the Family law unit are free of charge.