The family court approach formerly known as Pathfinder has been renamed Child Focused Courts, or the Child Focused Model. The national rollout across England and Wales was announced on 17 March 2026.
What does the new Child Focused Courts approach mean for separated parents? More information about the child’s experience is gathered earlier, before the first hearing. The procedure has changed. The law has not. On 29 September 2026 the Court of Appeal said Practice Direction 12J still applies in full.
This is general information, not legal advice. It describes the Child Focused Courts approach in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ. The details of any individual case will depend on the process being used and the information before the court.
The first Court of Appeal decision
On 29 September 2026 the Court of Appeal handed down Re C (Child Arrangements Orders; Domestic Abuse; Child Focused Court) [2026] EWCA Civ 1216. It is the first appeal to reach that court from a Family Court using this model. I read the judgment and the Court’s press summary on 10 October 2026.
The press summary says the model has changed procedure and culture, but has not changed the substantive law. The welfare of the child remains paramount, and Practice Direction 12J continues to apply in full. The judgment says the same thing: the model has not altered the substantive legal framework, Practice Direction 12J remains fully applicable, and it is not undercut or diluted. The pilot rules incorporate that Practice Direction and make some procedural amendments so it lines up with the new hearings. Those amendments are not a softer set of domestic abuse rules.
Our note on what that first decision means stays with the Court’s point, and does not walk through the stages of a case. The judgment itself is the authoritative text.
What is changing?
The approach began as a pilot in February 2022 in Dorset and North Wales. It is now being rolled out under the Child Focused Courts name. The stated aim is a more investigative and problem-solving approach, with earlier multi-agency information gathering and a clearer focus on the child’s experience.
The most important practical change is the timing of the Child Impact Report. Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru or a local authority produces the report, including the child’s views, before the first hearing rather than at the end. That gives the first hearing a different starting point: the focus is on how the dispute is affecting the child.
The model also includes earlier safeguarding checks and regular involvement from domestic-abuse professionals, including independent domestic violence advisers, known as IDVAs. Cafcass describes safeguarding checks, a call with a Family Court Adviser and one decisions hearing as part of the approach.
For a parent, this does not mean that a child has to take sides or that every conversation will feel simple. It means that the child’s experience and relevant safeguarding information are intended to be in the process earlier. If you are worried about domestic abuse or safety, get specialist help rather than trying to manage contact or court steps alone.
Where is it already running?
Child Focused Courts are already live in 10 of 43 areas. These include all of Wales, Birmingham and the West Midlands, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and West Yorkshire.
The first new wave has eight areas:
- Northumbria and North Durham
- Cleveland and South Durham
- Lancashire
- Cumbria
- York and North Yorkshire
- Cheshire and Merseyside
- Northamptonshire
- Coventry and Warwickshire
GOV.UK, re-read on 10 October 2026, still describes those eight areas as the first stage of the national expansion. It does not say they are already live. In April 2026 the then President of the Family Division said the remaining 24 court centres would take up the model between April 2027 and March 2029. On 29 September 2026 the Court of Appeal still described the model as operating in ten court centres, including the whole of Wales, and envisaged that by early 2029 it would apply in all private law cases. Whether a particular court is using the model depends on the local rollout, so check the current official information if this matters to a case.
What does one report, one hearing mean?
HMCTS described the model as “one report, one hearing”. The aim is for the Child Impact Report and other relevant information to be brought together early, then for the first hearing to deal with the child’s experience and the dispute’s impact.
That does not mean every case will be resolved in one appointment. It means the approach is designed around one decisions hearing and fewer hearings where that is suitable. Parents should not read the phrase as a promise about the length or outcome of an individual case.
HMCTS said on 26 May 2026 that early-adopter courts had seen average case timeliness fall from 37 weeks to 12 weeks. Pilot evidence published on 3 February 2025, re-read on 10 October 2026, reported that average case length fell from 29 to 18 weeks in North Wales, and from 38 to 27 weeks in Dorset. These are reported figures from the pilot and early-adopter experience, not a guaranteed timetable.
Why the timing of the report matters
Putting the Child Impact Report before the first hearing changes what can be discussed at that early point in the process. The child’s views are part of the report, alongside the wider information gathered by Cafcass, Cafcass Cymru or a local authority. That means the first hearing is intended to begin with a picture of the dispute’s impact on the child rather than waiting for that picture to arrive later.
The approach also brings safeguarding into the earlier part of the process. Cafcass safeguarding checks, a call with a Family Court Adviser and involvement from domestic-abuse professionals are intended to help the court understand important information sooner. This is particularly relevant where a parent is worried about harm or about the effect of conflict on a child. It does not turn a report into a decision by itself, and it does not remove the need for the court to consider the case carefully.
What can a parent do with this information?
The model is about how the court gathers and uses information. You still need to keep the everyday facts of family life clear. Note the arrangements being followed, the questions that remain unresolved, and any relevant change in the child’s routine. Keep the record factual and child-focused.
It may also help to separate three things in your own notes: what was agreed, what was suggested and what actually happened. That separation makes it easier to explain the practical issue without turning every disagreement into a judgement about the other parent.
If the process raises a question about a particular court order, our guide to the other orders you might hear about in a child arrangements case explains several specialist orders in plain English. It is general information only and cannot tell you what an order would mean for your circumstances.
A child-focused process is not the whole answer
Earlier reports and a focus on the child’s views can help the court understand the family situation sooner. They do not remove the difficult work of making safe, workable arrangements after separation. Parents may still need to answer practical questions about time, handovers and communication.
The wider pattern matters too. The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory finding on parents returning to court describes how often families in private law proceedings return within five years. A faster, more child-focused process is one part of reducing the strain created by repeat applications. Clear arrangements and calm records are another part, where it is safe to keep them.
If communication includes fear, coercion or domestic abuse, do not treat a shared plan as the first or only answer. Support is available through the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.
Child Focused Courts are a change in the court approach, not a new name for a child arrangements order, and not a change to the law. The useful question is what information will be gathered, when it will be available, and how the child’s welfare and Practice Direction 12J stay at the centre of the process. The first Court of Appeal decision is the place to read that limit in the Court’s own words.