England and Wales Case Law

JX (A Child) (Fact-finding hearing), Re

Both parties perpetrated domestic abuse in a toxic, volatile relationship. The mother was physically abusive towards the father, including hitting, threats, and loss of self-control, some of which she admitted. The father engaged in emotionally controlling and dismissive behaviour, including stonewalling, unilateral decision-making post-separation, and conduct likely to cause the mother emotional harm and ongoing control using the child. Both parties' behaviours caused emotional harm to the child. The court found specific allegations proven or part-proven as detailed, and determined that both…

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• Domestic abuse
• Coercive and controlling behaviour
• Physical abuse
• Child arrangements
• Parental responsibility
• Contact arrangements

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CF v CM (Finding of Fact Judgment 1)

The court found, on the balance of probabilities, that the child X's core testimony regarding sexual abuse by the father was consistent, plausible, and not undermined by inconsistencies or evidence of malicious motivation. The mother was not motivated to fabricate allegations, and the father's testimony was not truthful on key points. The allegation of sexual abuse was found to be true on at least one occasion.

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• Child sexual abuse allegations
• Fact-finding hearings
• Credibility assessment
• Hearsay evidence
• Domestic violence
• Pornography addiction

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A Father v A Mother

A Father v A Mother [2026] EWFC 98 (B) (29 April 2026)

Fact-finding judgment in Children Act proceedings. The court largely upheld the mother’s domestic abuse allegations, rejected the father’s counter-allegations, and found no coercive control.

• Domestic abuse
• Child arrangements
• Fact-finding hearings
• Coercive and controlling behaviour
• Verbal abuse
• Drug use

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A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors

Care proceedings about an infant’s skull fracture and subdural bleed. The court found non-accidental injury, could not identify a single perpetrator, and made welfare orders.

• Care orders
• Special guardianship orders
• Non-accidental injury
• Fact-finding hearings
• Welfare analysis
• Supervision orders

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A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors

A Local Authority v The Mother & Ors [2026] EWFC 84 (B) (10 April 2026)

The court found H suffered non-accidental skull and head injuries, but could not identify whether the mother or father caused them. A Special Guardianship Order and 12-month Supervision Order were made.

• Care orders
• Non-accidental injury
• Threshold criteria
• Special guardianship orders
• Fact-finding hearings
• Welfare of the child

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Manchester City Council v M & Ors

Fact-finding judgment in care proceedings finding that the father raped Ms Smith in 2015 and sexually abused child X on multiple occasions.

• Care proceedings
• Sexual abuse allegations
• Fact-finding hearings
• Threshold criteria
• Evidential standards
• Care-proceedings

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Manchester City Council v M & Ors

Manchester City Council v M & Ors [2026] EWFC 75 (01 April 2026)

Fact-finding in care proceedings: the court found the father raped Ms Smith in 2015, but did not make findings on all allegations concerning X.

• Care proceedings
• Sexual abuse allegations
• Fact-finding hearings
• Threshold criteria
• Dna evidence
• Child testimony

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A Mother (Appeal: Alienating Behaviours: Fair Procedure), Re

Appeal in a family case allowed in part where a finding of parental alienation was set aside for procedural unfairness and inadequate reasoning.

• Parental alienation
• Procedural fairness
• Fabrication of allegations
• Child arrangements
• Fact-finding hearings
• Parental-alienation

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A Mother (Appeal: Alienating Behaviours: Fair Procedure)

A Mother (Appeal: Alienating Behaviours: Fair Procedure) [2026] EWHC 783 (Fam) (31 March 2026)

The High Court set aside a finding of parental alienation against a mother for procedural unfairness and inadequate reasoning, while most fabrication findings remained.

• Parental alienation
• Procedural fairness
• Fact-finding hearings
• Fabrication of allegations
• Child arrangements
• Parental-alienation

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A v R (Appeal: Unsupervised Contact Prior to Determination of Allegations: PD12J)

The District Judge erred by progressing contact to unsupervised prior to determination of serious domestic abuse allegations, failing to properly apply Practice Direction 12J paragraphs 25-27 and the welfare checklist, thereby exposing the child and mother to unmanageable risk of harm.

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• Interim child arrangements
• Domestic abuse allegations
• Practice direction 12j
• Fact-finding hearings
• Supervised vs unsupervised contact

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