Everyman Justice - McKenzie Friend UK

26/05/2026

One of the most common questions parents ask is: "How long does a Child Arrangements Order case actually take?"

I've updated my guide with a practical timeline showing the typical stages of a case, from the C100 application and Cafcass safeguarding checks through to Section 7 reports, fact-finding hearings and final hearings.

Of course, every case is different, but this should give parents a clearer idea of what to expect.

Learn how the Child Arrangements Order process in England & Wales works, from the C100 application and Cafcass safeguarding call to the FHDRA hearing, Section 7 report, and final hearing.

12/05/2026

Family court pressure is continuing to grow across England, and the newest CAFCASS figures show a significant rise in both public and private law cases during 2025–26.

Behind these numbers are thousands of families dealing with child arrangements, safeguarding concerns, delays, conflict, and uncertainty about what happens next.

One thing many parents don’t realise at the beginning is how emotionally and procedurally overwhelming the system can become once proceedings start — especially when communication between parents has already broken down.

The increase in private law cases also reflects something we see every day: more parents are turning to court because they feel they’ve run out of options.

Understanding the process early, staying organised, and keeping the focus on the child can make a huge difference later on.

CAFCASS data:
https://www.cafcass.gov.uk/about-us/our-data

Our latest data on the children’s cases open to us. Monthly statistics, headline trends, quarterly and annual summaries.

16/04/2026

I’ve just published my first book on Amazon.

“Conflict by Design” is based on real experience supporting parents through family court in England & Wales.

It’s written for parents — to help understand:
• what actually happens in court
• how Cafcass fits into the process
• what really matters in practice

It’s not a dry, legal textbook.
The aim is to make the process clearer, more human, and easier to navigate.

Now available here:
https://everymanjustice.co.uk/conflict-by-design-book/

If you’re going through Child Arrangements or just trying to understand the system better, it may help.

Conflict by Design by Gergely Fried explores how family court structure influences conflict in child arrangements cases. Coming Spring 2026.

02/04/2026

Record numbers of children now missing over half of school.

New data shows 176,000+ pupils are severely absent — missing more than 50% of classes.
That’s nearly 3x higher than before the pandemic.

At the same time, 1 in 5 children are still persistently absent.

This isn’t just about attendance — it’s about:

family stability
trust between parents and systems
long-term outcomes for children

In many family court cases, school attendance and routine are already part of the wider conflict.

👉 The reality is: these issues rarely sit in isolation.

Full report here:
https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/newsroom/record-numbers-missing-over-half-of-school-new-data-reveals

Pupils missing more than half of classes hit an annual record high last year, according to new figures from the Department for Education.

24/03/2026

There’s been a shift in how family court cases involving children are being handled, with the “Child Focused Court” model (previously Pathfinder) now rolling out more widely across England and Wales.

The idea is to move away from a more adversarial process and bring key information in much earlier — including a clearer picture of the child’s situation through early reports and multi-agency input.

In pilot areas, this has been linked to fewer hearings and faster case progression.

But as always, how it works in practice may depend on local resources, consistency, and how cases are managed day to day.

For parents going through the system, changes like this can make a real difference — but they also raise important questions about how consistently they are applied.

🔗 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/children-to-get-swifter-justice-as-new-family-court-approach-expands-nationally

The newly named Child Focused Courts will be rolled out across England and Wales, following a particularly successful pilot which saw cases in the family court resolved seven and a half months quicker.

17/03/2026

There’s now updated guidance alongside PD27A aimed at helping litigants in person prepare court bundles more consistently.

On paper, it’s clear structure, page limits, timelines, and what should (and shouldn’t) be included.

But in practice, I’ve seen cases where structure isn’t really the issue it’s the volume of material and what actually ends up in the bundle.

Do you think this is actually going to solve anything in practice, or is it more of a paper exercise?

🔗 https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/preparing-court-bundles-for-family-proceedings-guide-for-litigants-in-person/

This guidance applies to family court cases in England and Wales and supersedes previous guidance issued in November and December 2021

06/03/2026

Last week I wrote:

“After years of sitting beside parents in family court, I finally put it into words.”

Many people asked what I meant.

The answer is this I wrote a book.

Conflict by Design: How the Family Court System Turns Ordinary Parents Into Adversaries.

It’s based on what I’ve seen over the years sitting beside parents in family court —the confusion, the pressure, and the human stories behind the process.

If you’d like to learn more about it:

https://everymanjustice.co.uk/conflict-by-design-book/

Conflict by Design by Gergely Fried explores how family court structure influences conflict in child arrangements cases. Coming Spring 2026.

28/02/2026

After years of sitting beside parents in family court, I finally put it into words.

24/02/2026

President on instruction of unregistered psychologists in private law cases

A recent judgment in Re Y (Experts and Alienating Behaviour: The Modern Approach) makes clear that permission should not be given to instruct someone as a “psychologist” unless they are registered with a statutory regulator or chartered by the BPS.

Given how often expert evidence is relied on in cases involving allegations of alienating behaviour, this is likely to have practical consequences. It may affect future instructions — and potentially cases where reports from unregistered experts have already featured.

The judgment also suggests that a more proportionate procedural route may be needed in cases seeking to revisit findings in this context, rather than defaulting to a full Part 18 application.

Full judgment here:
👉 https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/re-y-experts-and-alienating-behaviour-the-modern-approach/

More family court insights:
🌐 https://everymanjustice.co.uk

Neutral Citation Number: [2026] EWFC 38Case No: ME25P00554 In the Family Court 20 February 2026 Before: Rt Hon Sir Andrew McFarlane President of the Family Division Regarding: Re: Y (Experts and Alienating Behaviour: The Modern Approach)

17/02/2026

National review on safeguarding unborn babies and infants
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published a national review calling for stronger protection of vulnerable unborn babies and infants.

Recommendations include clearer national guidance on pre-birth safeguarding, improved responses to concealed pregnancies, stronger multi-agency coordination, and better engagement with parents before and after child removal.

The data notes that over 5,000 unborn babies and infants under one were subject to child protection plans last year, and that under-1s remain the age group with the highest fatality rate in serious safeguarding incidents.

For those working in care proceedings or child protection, does this reflect what you’re seeing in practice around pre-birth assessments and coordination between services?