Child Focused Courts in Merseyside and Cheshire: What Parents Need to Know

If you are a separated parent in Merseyside or Cheshire and a children case could end up in the family court, the process is about to change. The area is switching to the Child Focused Courts model, which used to be called the Pathfinder courts. The Cheshire and Merseyside Local Family Justice Board has said it goes live on 17 November 2026.

The timing is useful, because the Court of Appeal has just given its first judgment on a case run under the new model: Re C (Child Arrangements Orders; Domestic Abuse; Child Focused Court) [2026] EWCA Civ 1216. Here is what changes, what that ruling says, and what stays the same.

What are Child Focused Courts?

Child Focused Courts are a different way of running private children cases, the disputes between parents about where a child lives and when they see each other. According to Unit Chambers, the model has been piloted since February 2022 and takes a problem-solving, multi-agency approach rather than a series of court hearings.

On 17 March 2026 the Ministry of Justice announced that the model would be expanded across England and Wales. At that point it ran in 10 of the 43 family court areas, including all of Wales, Birmingham, the West Midlands, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and West Yorkshire. The government says cases in the pilot areas were resolved up to seven and a half months faster. The next areas named were Northumbria and North Durham, Cleveland and South Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria, York and North Yorkshire, Cheshire and Merseyside, Northamptonshire, and Coventry and Warwickshire.

What changes in Merseyside and Cheshire from 17 November

The Local Family Justice Board's announcement lists the main changes for families:

• A Child Impact Report replaces the safeguarding letter, the first hearing (FHDRA) and the Section 7 report. It is meant to put the child's voice at the centre and to include a domestic abuse risk assessment.
• Case Progression Officers help families understand the process and keep the case moving.
• Gatekeeping and a decision hearing replace several hearings. FHDRAs and DRAs no longer take place in these cases.
• More domestic abuse support, through closer working with Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and local services.

That last point has money behind it locally. The Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside secured more than £677,000 from the Ministry of Justice over two years for specialist IDVAs in the family court process across Merseyside and Cheshire. Local Solutions will deliver the service, which is expected to start in November.

How a case runs under the new model

Unit Chambers breaks the process into five steps:

1. Application and first gatekeeping. The application is issued and directions are set. If no MIAM has taken place, the case may be paused until one does.
2. Child Impact Report. Cafcass or the local authority is directed to write it within 8 to 10 weeks. It looks at the child's lived experience, needs and wishes, risk, and recommendations.
3. Second gatekeeping. A judge or legal adviser reads the report and decides whether the case can be settled on paper by consent order, sent to dispute resolution outside court, or needs a hearing.
4. Decision hearing. The first hearing you attend, which uses the report to deal with what is still in dispute.
5. Further hearings. If things are not agreed, there is a review hearing. If domestic abuse allegations need to be tested, there may be a fact-finding hearing.

If you are still at the form-filling stage, our C100 form guide walks through the application, and the Section 7 report guide explains what the Child Impact Report replaces.

Re C: the first Court of Appeal ruling under the new model

Unit Chambers reports that the judgment was handed down on 29 September 2026. In short, based on their summary:

• A father applied for contact with his four children in 2023. The parents' relationship involved domestic abuse, and the father had admitted a number of the allegations. A final child arrangements order was made in October 2024.
• The mother stopped contact after breaches of that order, and both parents went back to court. A Child Impact Report from Cafcass Cymru, filed in February 2026, recommended ending direct contact.
• The judge did not follow that recommendation in full. He reduced the length and frequency of contact rather than ending it, refused the mother's applications for a non-molestation order and for removal of the father's parental responsibility, and made section 91(14) orders, which limit fresh applications, against both parents.
• The mother appealed on six grounds. One was that the case had been dealt with "too summarily" under the Pathfinder model. The appeal was dismissed, except for the section 91(14) order made against her.

What the Court of Appeal made clear

• The new model does not change the law. The child's welfare is still paramount, and Practice Direction 12J still applies where there is domestic abuse.
• A judge can depart from a Cafcass recommendation and can order contact where it does not harm the child's welfare.
• Not every allegation needs a fact-finding hearing. Whether one is necessary is still the test, following Re H-N [2021] EWCA Civ 448.

Unit Chambers also notes a concern. Some domestic abuse victims have felt rushed or not properly heard, especially when a case is decided on paper. A faster process has to leave room for those issues to be understood.

What this means if you co-parent in Merseyside or Cheshire

Most separated parents never go to court, and the new model is designed to settle more cases earlier. If you do apply, expect the Child Impact Report to carry a lot of weight, and expect the court to look closely at what daily life is like for your child.

• Try mediation first, where it is safe. A MIAM is still expected before most applications. Mediation is not appropriate in every case involving abuse.
• Keep things factual. Calm, child-focused messages and a clear record of handovers, dates and costs make it easier to explain what has actually been happening. Our guide to keeping co-parenting records has a simple routine.
• If you are worried about safety, get specialist help early. GOV.UK lists domestic abuse support services, and IDVAs are being brought into the family court process locally.

Elsewhere in family law, the government also wants to remove the legal presumption that a parent's involvement benefits a child. That is a separate change, still going through Parliament. We explain it in what Clause 17 of the Courts and Tribunals Bill would change. For the wider picture, see UK family law reform in 2026.

Where Larkling fits

Larkling is a UK co-parenting app for every family shape: two mums, two dads, platonic co-parents, blended families and more traditional set-ups. A shared calendar keeps both homes on the same dates, messaging keeps conversations about the children in one calm place, and expense records show who paid for what. Those core tools are always free for both parents, and Solo Mode works even if your co-parent does not join.

This page is general information as published in October 2026, not legal advice. It is based on the Unit Chambers summary of Re C, the Ministry of Justice announcement, and local announcements linked above. Speak to a family solicitor or mediator about your own situation.