{"id":2070,"date":"2025-07-30T04:41:51","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T04:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/twowishesfoundation.org.uk\/?p=2070"},"modified":"2025-07-30T04:44:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T04:44:27","slug":"family-courts-not-best-for-kids-say-judges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/twowishesfoundation.org.uk\/index.php\/2025\/07\/30\/family-courts-not-best-for-kids-say-judges\/","title":{"rendered":"“Family Courts not best for kids,” say judges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

30 July 2025: Two Wishes Advisory Board Calls for Fresh Approach to Family Separation and Divorce at World Congress in Cambridge, UK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An international panel of family court judges will today present a united call for a fundamental shift in how societies deal with family separation and divorce. Speaking at the World Congress on Family Law and Children\u2019s Rights<\/a> in Cambridge, the judges will urge a shift away from adversarial legal processes and towards a fresh approach centred on early interventions, education, and community-based support services. They propose models that promote cooperation, understanding, and child wellbeing from the outset and keep children and families out of court wherever possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judges \u2013 an Advisory Board to the Two Wishes Foundation<\/a> and representing jurisdictions across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas \u2013 echo the remarkable public statements of the UK\u2019s top family court judge, Sir Andrew McFarlane, that family courts are themselves a harming process<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This international panel, which consists of judges who have, between them, dealt with tens of thousands of cases involving children and their families, argues that key reforms to existing family courts \u2013 including greater accountability and transparency, specialised expertise, and greater urgency whenever children are involved \u2013 are essential if these institutions are to fulfil their role of looking after the best interests \u2013 and the long -term wellbeing \u2013 of children. But they stress that, even with these essential reforms, traditional litigation-based systems are not what\u2019s best for children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to improve our family courts considerably,<\/em>\u201d said Judge Bruce Cohen, recently retired family court judge from Arizona, USA. \u201cBut they\u2019re not the best or safest way to help children in separating families. How many of us seriously believe that an adversarial, legal process can ever be the best way to protect the interests of children going forward or to help parents work together productively in the future?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judges point to mounting evidence that early support not only protects children from harm but reduces public expenditure, lowers court caseloads, and improves long-term outcomes for children and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe cannot afford to keep treating family breakdown as a legal problem,\u201d<\/em> said Judge Marie-France Carlier from Belgium. \u201cHarm prevention and early, accessible support for the whole family must be central to the system, not peripheral.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The judges\u2019 call to action includes recommendations for governments, legal professionals, and community services to work collaboratively in designing systems that better serve children and families \u2014 not by intensifying conflict or exacerbating risks, but by fostering resilience and cooperative resolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media Contact:<\/strong>
David Curl, CEO, Two Wishes Foundation
contact@twowishes.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note to Editors:<\/strong>
The World Congress on Family Law and Children\u2019s Rights is a global event that brings together judges, academics, policymakers, and child advocates to explore law reform, best practices, and international cooperation in advancing the rights and wellbeing of children and families.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

30 July 2025: Two Wishes Advisory Board Calls for Fresh Approach to Family Separation and Divorce at World Congress in Cambridge, UK An international panel of family court judges will today …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/twowishesfoundation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/imagine-windscreen.jpg?fit=1257%2C707&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1507,"url":"https:\/\/twowishesfoundation.org.uk\/index.php\/2021\/09\/01\/angharad-rudkin-joins-board\/","url_meta":{"origin":2070,"position":0},"title":"Dr Angharad Rudkin joins Board","author":"twowishes","date":"September 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A child clinical psychologist and programme tutor at the University of Southampton, Angharad brings a strongly evidence-based, yet individually tailored, approach to her work with children and families. 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