Tag Archive for: child welfare

You are here: / child welfare

This topic focuses on child welfare as the central consideration in private law children cases. It reflects the court’s duty to prioritise the child’s best interests above parental disputes.

Articles under this tag explain how welfare considerations influence decisions about arrangements, safeguarding, and case management, and how the welfare checklist is applied in practice.

Posts

JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

From 41% to 2%: What Frolo’s Early Family Court Survey Is Telling Us About Trust

/
0 Comments
The first 87 parents responding to Frolo’s Family Court survey reported a striking collapse in trust, alongside concerns about mental health, children, professional reports, coercive control, costs and delay. These are preliminary, self-selected findings — not population estimates. But they raise questions the Family Court should want to answer.
JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cafcass, Domestic Abuse Allegations and Fact-Finding: Lessons from Re D

/
0 Comments
The Court of Appeal’s decision in D (Change of Circumstances: Domestic Abuse Allegations) [2026] EWCA Civ 969 explains that Cafcass can assess safeguarding risks but cannot treat disputed allegations as established facts. The judgment highlights when fact-finding may need reconsideration, the importance of the welfare checklist and practical issues for litigants in person responding to section 7 reports.
JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

When a Child Says “No Contact”

/
0 Comments
A child saying they do not want contact with a parent is important evidence — but it does not always answer the welfare question. This article examines PD12J, domestic abuse, indirect contact, Cafcass, wishes and feelings, contact breakdown and why understanding how a child reached their position can be just as important as recording the position itself.
JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

Putting Children First in Family Law | JSH Law

/
0 Comments
“Putting children first” is easy to say. This article examines what it should require from parents, lawyers, Cafcass and the Family Court—while making clear that reducing conflict must never mean overlooking domestic abuse or safeguarding risk.
JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Order Is No Longer Working: What to Do Before You Go Back to Family Court

/
0 Comments
A final child arrangements order is not necessarily the end of the story. But before applying again, litigants in person need to identify the correct procedure, the evidence that has genuinely changed and the orders that are realistically sought. This JSH Law guide explains how a structured family court case review can help.
JSH Law Resources and Guidance for Litigants in Person – practical family court information explained in plain English.© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

Children, Character and Adult Responsibility: A JSH Law Response to Katharine Birbalsingh

/
0 Comments
Katharine Birbalsingh’s speech asks an uncomfortable but necessary question: what are we actually teaching children about duty, responsibility, resilience and moral character? This JSH Law article looks at that question through the lens of family justice, safeguarding, children’s welfare, social media and adult accountability.

Portfolio Items

Jessica Susan Hill – JSH Law family court support© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

61. Supervised contact versus supported contact

Supervised and supported child contact centres provide different safeguards. This technical guide examines risk assessment, PD12J, NACCC standards, contact reports, handovers and safe progression.
Parent reviewing and making notes on Cafcass recommendations for family court proceedings© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

13. Understanding Cafcass recommendations

A Cafcass recommendation can strongly influence child-arrangements proceedings, but it does not decide the case. This technical guide explains how to trace a recommendation back to its evidence and welfare analysis, distinguish allegations from findings and prepare a focused response if you disagree.

17. Disputed safeguarding narratives

Family cases can contain sharply different safeguarding accounts. This guide explains how to separate allegations from evidence and findings, trace professional source material, identify patterns of alleged coercive control and work out which disputed facts genuinely require determination.
Older child expressing their wishes and feelings while parents listen during a family discussion© 2026 JSH Law Ltd. All rights reserved.

9. Disputes involving older children / wishes and feelings

Older children's views can carry substantial weight in family court, but there is no fixed age at which a child simply decides. This guide explains wishes and feelings, Cafcass, participation, Rule 16.4 and the practical limits of orders involving teenagers.