‘Family Court retraumatises domestic abuse victims’

This is the conclusion of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales who has published a report about family courts. This conclusion will not be a surprising one for many women who have gone through the family courts and experienced utter anxiety, intimidation and feeling overwhelmed by the whole system that underpins continued abuse of […]

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Enforcement of Child Arrangements.

Section 11J of the Children Act 1989. Where a Child Arrangements Order is in place and a party has failed to comply with one of its provisions, without a reasonable excuse, the court can make an order imposing on that party an unpaid work requirement. The burden is on the party alleged to have breached […]

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Child Arrangments in Family Courts.

The Ministry of Justice has launched a Consultation into ‘supporting earlier resolution of private family law arrangements’, this being potentially done through mandatory mediation for separating couples. The consultation is open now and closes on 15 June 2023. The Ministry of Justice Press Release states: ……………………………………………… “The move aims to protect children from the damaging […]

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What is the Welfare Checklist?

In family proceedings involving children and where the family court is making a decision on matters that will affect a child, the courts are required to look at the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration. The welfare checklist consists of seven statutory criteria that the courts must consider under the Children Act 1989 […]

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Am I experiencing Economic Abuse?

Financial abuse can happen to anyone. If you can answer ‘yes’ to one or more of the following questions, you may be experiencing economic abuse.   Has your current or former partner ever:  stopped you from having the money you needed to buy food, clothes or other essentials, or to pay the bills?  dictated how you […]

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Parental Alienation – A tool to muddy the waters.

Children’s voices, their experiences and their realities should never be ignored. The issue of perpetrators of abuse using the concept of Parental Alienation is one of the most toxic developments in family law and a significant barrier to children’s real experiences and voices being acknowledge. The concept stems from the theory of “parental alienation syndrome” […]

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Statutory guidance: Domestic Abuse Act 2021

The Home Office has published statutory guidance supporting the implementation of the Domestic Abuse Act’s wide-ranging statutory definition of domestic abuse and providing guidance to those working with victims, including the police and local authorities. The statutory definition introduced in the Act incorporates a range of abuse beyond physical violence, including controlling or coercive behavior; […]

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