Courts & law
Changes to the family courts and the law that decides contact, child arrangements and a child's welfare in England and Wales. Plain-English updates, so you can tell what is genuinely changing from what is just a headline.
-
Keeping a child abroad after a holiday is set to become a crime
A new law will make it a criminal offence to keep a child abroad after an agreed trip, not just to take them without consent. With the summer holidays here, this is what it means and what to do before any trip abroad.
-
If you weren't married, the rules on splitting up may be about to change
The government is consulting on giving unmarried couples financial rights when they separate, and on reforming divorce finances. Here is what is proposed, and how to have your say before 14 August 2026.
-
Family courts are going "child focused" across England and Wales
The Pathfinder family court model is being renamed Child Focused Courts and rolled out across England and Wales, after a pilot that cut delays sharply. Here is what it means for you.
-
What scrapping the "presumption of parental involvement" actually means
A Bill going through Parliament would remove the presumption that involving both parents furthers a child's welfare. Here is the calm, accurate version, what it changes and what it does not.