Domestic Abuse Commissioner reviews how the family courts deal with domestic abuse
On 14 October 2025, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner published findings from a study conducted under the Family Court review and reporting mechanism (FCRRM), which examined practices at three Family Court sites in England and Wales throughout 2024. The study focused on how domestic abuse is identified and addressed in private law child arrangement proceedings. Domestic abuse was identified in 87% of case files and 73% of observed hearings. The report found that court proceedings can have a negative impact on survivors and children, including re-traumatisation, limited opportunities for children’s views to be considered and orders perceived as unsafe or unsustainable. While some good practice was observed, such as trauma-informed approaches and efforts to prioritise safety, these were not applied consistently. The Domestic Abuse Commissioner made several recommendations in relation to the next steps for the FCRRM, including that the Ministry of Justice should commit resources and funding to a second phase of the FCRRM to include Pathfinder court sites and Child Arrangements Programme courts, as well as financial remedy cases.