Children Act 1989: Primary legislation governing child arrangements, establishing the welfare principle (child's best interests are paramount), defining and regulating parental responsibility and how it can be shared between parents

Family Law Act 1996: Legislation covering provisions relating to family homes and domestic violence protections, essential for establishing living arrangements in custody agreements

Child Arrangements and Contact Order Regulations 2020: Recent amendments to contact arrangements during emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic, affecting how shared custody can be implemented during exceptional circumstances

Adoption and Children Act 2002: Contains modifications to Children Act 1989 and additional provisions about parental responsibility, relevant for understanding the complete legal framework of custody arrangements

Children and Families Act 2014: Updates to the family justice system and introduction of child arrangement orders, modernizing how custody arrangements are handled

Family Procedure Rules 2010: Procedural rules governing how family court cases should be conducted and how custody arrangements should be formally established

CAFCASS Guidelines: Guidelines from the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, providing practical guidance on implementing custody arrangements in the best interests of the child