Child Focused Courts are coming to the North East

A new approach to private children proceedings launches across the North East on 17 November 2026.

Child Focused Courts are designed to put children at the centre of family proceedings, identify safeguarding concerns earlier and ensure their wishes, feelings and lived experiences are considered at an earlier stage.

For families involved in disputes about where a child should live or how much time they should spend with each parent, the process will place greater emphasis on early information gathering and assessment.

A more child-focused journey

The new process includes:

🟠 NEW APPLICATION

🟢 SAFEGUARDING CHECKS

🔵 INFORMATION SCREENING

🟣 CHILD HEARD

🟡 FAMILY COURT ADVISER

🔴 CHILD IMPACT REPORT

🟢 DECISIONS HEARING

🔵 FINAL ORDER

A key feature is the Child Impact Report (CIR). For children with Cafcass involvement, the CIR places the child’s experiences at the centre of the assessment. The standard filing period will be up to 50 working days from 2 November 2026 and it is hoped that the process will be quicker and smoother for families.