Child Focused Courts Roll Out Nationally

The government confirmed on 17 March 2026 that Child Focused Courts — formerly known as Pathfinder Courts — will be expanded across the entirety of England and Wales, following a trial period that saw family court backlogs halve and cases resolved up to seven and a half months faster. The model places domestic abuse recognition and child welfare at the centre of every case from the outset. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner said the rollout showed that “when we put children first, victims feel more supported and re-traumatisation is reduced” and called for domestic abuse outcomes to be “at the heart of every case”. The national expansion has significant implications for how psychological expert evidence is instructed and used: the model’s emphasis on trauma-informed, welfare-first proceedings creates a more structured framework for expert assessment at an earlier stage of proceedings.

Source: GOV.UK / Ministry of Justice press release, 17 March 2026 (debated in May 2026 committee evidence)