S3 Ep01 - Domestic Abuse & the Family Court: Understanding the Cafcass Approach

The role of Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) in domestic abuse cases is crucial, yet often misunderstood. With the recent updates to the Cafcass Domestic Abuse Practice Policy, we’ll explore how these guidelines impact family court proceedings, child safeguarding, and parental contact arrangements. 

In this episode, we’ll break down: 

• How Cafcass assesses harm and risk in domestic abuse cases 

• The impact of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 on family proceedings 

• How practitioners balance child welfare with parents’ rights 

• The challenges of coercive control and post-separation abuse 

• Whether the family court is doing enough to protect children 

Let’s dive into what these policy changes mean for legal professionals, parents and the children at the heart of these cases. 

References: Re L-G (Risk Assessment) [2025] EWCA Civ 60, Re T (Children: Risk Assessment) [2025] EWCA Civ 93, Cafcass policy, PD12J