Executive Summary The proposed changes in the Courts and Tribunals Bill 2026 could represent one of the most significant reforms to private family law in a generation. Removing the presumption of parental involvement provides an opportunity to create a more evidence-based family justice system. However, legislative change alone will not resolve the wider challenges faced by modern families. A modern family justice system requires earlier identification of risk, improved safeg

By Deanna Newell Founder - DN Family Law The Prime Minister’s proposal to consider increasing the personal tax-free allowance from £12,570 to £25,000 could be welcome news for millions of workers, families and small business owners by allowing people to keep more of what they earn could ease financial pressures during the cost-of-living crisis. DN Family Law supports measures that help hardworking people. However, this announcement also shines a spotlight on a much bigger iss

I fully support Claire Waxman OBE’s call for victims’ voices to remain central when decisions are made about the justice system. The pressures facing the prison system are real, but so are the rights, safety, and confidence of victims and survivors. Promises made to victims must be delivered. A justice system cannot maintain public trust if those who have experienced harm do not feel heard, protected, or recognised. The same principle must apply within the family justice syst

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

Parents across the UK — both paying and receiving, are facing the real-life consequences of an outdated child maintenance system. Financial loopholes, unverified contact changes, and inconsistent assessments leave children without the support they deserve. The system often ignores assets such as houses, pensions, and savings, calculating maintenance starting from gross wages alone. This can create financial hardship for paying parents while leaving receiving parents with litt