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Facts First. Children First The Family Court and Child Maintenance systems are supposed to protect children. And yet too often they operate in isolation, failing to recognise how deeply connected family relationships, finances, safeguarding concerns, and child welfare really are. This is not about mothers versus fathers. It is not about contact versus maintenance. This is about ensuring decisions affecting children are based on evidence, transparency, and that the full pictur

The government’s proposed reforms for cohabiting couples have rightly been welcomed as a long-overdue step forward. Stronger rights for unmarried partners, greater recognition of economic abuse, and improved protections when relationships end are all positive developments. But there is a question policymakers, solicitors, barristers, and ministers must answer honestly; What good are legal rights if we cannot afford to enforce them? From my own lived experience of coercive, fi

At its core, child maintenance is not controversial in principle. It exists for one reason: to ensure that children are financially supported when parents separate. That principle is simple. The reality is not. The System In Numbers Under the UK Child Maintenance Service (CMS), payments are calculated using income bands set out in the statutory framework under the Child Support Act 1991 (as amended). In practice:- Some parents on benefits pay as little as £7 per week per

Child maintenance exists for one reason:- Child Maintenance exists to ensure that children receive financial support when parents separate. That principle is difficult to argue with. Children deserve food, clothing, housing, education, opportunities, stability, and security regardless of whether their parents remain together. But there is a difficult conversation that society, politicians, campaigners, and policymakers often avoid. The child maintenance debate has become in

To every parent involved in a dispute over money, contact, property, or control:- Stop using your children to punish the other parent. Stop using finances as a weapon. Stop withholding support, withholding contact, manipulating situations, or placing children in the middle of adult conflicts. Because while parents are busy fighting each other, it is often the children who pay the highest price. Children Notice More Than We Think Children notice more than we think. They notice

When child maintenance was introduced through the Child Support Act 1991, the principle was straightforward: Every parent has a responsibility to financially support their child. The system was created to ensure that children did not suffer because their parents lived apart. It was about children, not mothers. It was about children, not fathers. Child Maintenance was all about the children (Statutes.uk). More than thirty years later, we seem to have lost sight of that purp

Article by Deanna Newell, Founder of DN Family Law The family court and child maintenance systems were created to protect children and vulnerable parents however increasingly, families across the UK are telling the same story: The system is no longer delivering consistent fairness, transparency, or evidence-led outcomes. At DN Family Law, we work with parents navigating some of the most emotionally and financially complex situations imaginable; child arrangement disputes, sa

Child maintenance is intended to ensure that children receive appropriate financial support following separation or divorce, reflecting the realities of both parents’ circumstances however in practice, many families find the system more complex and less transparent than expected. At DN Family Law, we are increasingly being contacted by clients seeking clarity on how child maintenance is assessed, whether their arrangements are being correctly calculated, and what options are

Most relationships do not collapse because of one dramatic argument, one betrayal, or one sudden moment. They break down slowly. Quietly. Psychologically. And by the time separation or divorce happens, the emotional damage has often been building for months, Sometimes years. People love the fantasy that relationships fail because “love disappeared” however psychology paints a much harsher reality. Relationships usually collapse because emotional safety, respect, equality, tr

We call on the UK Government to review and reform the interaction between the Family Court system and the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) to ensure decisions are fair, transparent, and centred on the welfare of the child. At present, child maintenance and child contact are treated as separate legal matters. However, in practice, concerns are increasingly raised that they can become indirectly linked, particularly where overnight care affects child maintenance assessments unde

Victims of coercive control and post-separation abuse are being punished for the very trauma their abusers caused. Courts must stop weaponising mental health and listen to the voices of children and survivors. When Family Courts Misread Trauma: How Survivors of Domestic Abuse Are Being Failed “I was told that I was unstable in court. My child’s fear was twisted into evidence against me. Meanwhile, he smiled and said nothing, suddenly he was the credible parent.” These are the

Fairness. Transparency. Real-world parenting That’s what the child maintenance system is supposed to deliver. But for too many families, that’s not how it feels. Child maintenance exists for a reason. To ensure children are supported by both parents after separation. That principle is not up for debate. What is being questioned, more and more, is whether the system reflects the reality families are actually living in today. The Gap No One Can Ignore There is a growing gap b

Child maintenance doesn’t begin because everything is working well. It begins because something has already gone wrong. In an ideal world, separated parents would reach fair, consistent agreements, quietly, responsibly, and always in the best interests of their children. There would be no need for intervention, no need for enforcement, and no need for a formal system. However, sadly, that isn’t the reality for thousands of families. Child maintenance exists because, too often

For decades, the family justice system in England and Wales has been criticised for delay, inconsistency, and the emotional toll it places on children and parents caught in prolonged proceedings. The Pathfinder pilot, first launched in February 2022 in Dorset (including Bournemouth family court areas) and later expanded to Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, represents one of the most significant attempts in a generation to address those concerns in a structured, evidence-led wa

Campaign Calls for Urgent Reform of UK Child Maintenance System Amid Concerns Over Fairness, Financial Hardship, and System Transparency A new UK-focused campaign is calling on the Government and Parliament to urgently review and reform the Child Maintenance system, raising concerns that current assessment methods do not always reflect the full financial reality of separated families. While Child Maintenance is designed to ensure children receive appropriate financial support

Child maintenance exists for one essential purpose: to ensure that children are properly supported after separation. That principle is not in dispute. What is in dispute is whether the current system reflects the financial reality of modern families, or whether it too often creates unintended hardship, mistrust, and conflict between parents who are both trying to act in their child’s best interests. This letter is not written to blame either parent. It is written to highlight

To the UK Government, Members of Parliament, and the Child Maintenance Service, Child maintenance exists for one essential purpose: to ensure that children are properly supported after separation. That principle is not in dispute. What is increasingly being questioned, however, is whether the current system fully reflects the financial realities of modern family life, or whether aspects of it unintentionally create hardship, mistrust, and ongoing conflict between parents who

Behind closed doors across the UK, a growing number of separated parents say they are trapped in a bitter and emotionally draining struggle where child maintenance is no longer just about supporting children, it has become a weapon. The official system run by the Child Maintenance Service is meant to ensure children receive fair financial support from both parents however critics and campaigners warn that what happens outside the system tells a very different story. “Pay More

A teenage girl has been driven to end her life because of domestic abuse, for the first time formally recognised in national reporting in England and Wales. Let that land. Not killed by a partner. Not a tragic “relationship gone wrong.” But pushed, worn down, isolated, and psychologically trapped until death felt like the only escape. And she is not alone. In the year to March 2025, police recorded 150 suspected suicides linked to domestic abuse — almost double the previo

Let’s stop pretending the system is fair. Child maintenance in the UK is inconsistent, outdated, and heavily dependent on how income is structured, not what someone can actually afford. PAYE? Straighforward income? Self-employed income? Complicated income? Company income? The reality is the same, however the treament is different. And children are the ones paying the price for it. Let’s stop pretending the child maintenance system is working. It isn’t. It’s inconsistent.