Dictionary of Family Court Words - P

P

Paediatrician A doctor who cares for children

Paedophile Someone who is sexually attracted to children

Paramountcy Principle Children come first

Parent Mum or dad

Parental Responsibility What parents have to do for their children and the parents' rights to make decisions about the child's future

Parenting Assessment An assessment that looks at how a parent can look af ter a child now and in the future

Parenting Classes Helps a parent learn to look af ter their child

Parenting Skills What a parent needs to do to look af ter their child and keep them safe, happy and well

Paternal (e.g. paternal grandfather) The father's family

Penal Order The court could send someone to Prison if they don't do what the Court orders says

Pension Money paid to someone when they retire from work

Pension Earmarking Giving someone a right to part of another person's pension

Perceived Risk A chance something will happen, decided by looking at what has happened before

Periodical Payments Order Monies paid to someone or for someone every week / month

Personality Disorder The way someone thinks, causing them to behave differently

Petition Asking Court to decide something, similar to an application

Physical Abuse Someone hurting someone else's body

Placement Order A Court decision that a child should be adopted

Play Therapy Learning through play

Police Protection Order (PPO) Police papers to immediately remove a child at risk

Pornography Films, photos or computer pictures of people doing sexual things

Power of Arrest A decision by a Judge that the Police can take someone away if they do something they are told not to

Prescribed Ordered (e.g. tablets prescribed by a doctor are tablets he tells a person to take)

Prioritise To put the most important things first

Proceedings A Court case

Prohibited Steps Order A decision made at the Court that stops something being done

Proof of Income Showing how much money someone has by bringing papers that show that

Property Adjustment Order A Court order made in a divorce to sort out the house - who owns it and if it should be sold

Prosecution Taking someone to court for doing something wrong

Protocol How things are done, used in care proceedings

Psychiatrist A doctor who knows a lot about mental health issues

Psychologist Someone who understands how people behave but who is not a medical doctor

Public Funding Pays your solicitor's and barris ter 's costs, used to be called Legal Aid

PHR Solicitors family and divorce solicitors have a wide range of experience dealing with many different types of family dispute. They have helped hundreds of clients to resolve family - related issues; whether it's divorce and separation issues, child care, civil partnership or complex cohabitation issues.

In addition PHR Solicitors hold a legal aid franchise for family matters. This means that public funding may be available to fund your case.

All of our qualified family and divorce solicitors are members of Resolution (formerly Solicitors Family Law Association).

PHR Solicitors would like to thank Cumbria Local Family Justice Council for allowing the use of the contents of the Family Law Dictionary.