The Impact of Child Contact Cases on Victims of Domestic Abuse

8th September 2023

On 4th September, the BBC News published an article titled, "Family courts: Mothers dying after 'abusers' claim access to children."

The court system can feel abusive to those who have suffered domestic abuse from their partners. The law creates a presumption that there should be some involvement of both parents in a child’s life and sometimes too much weight can be placed on this, losing sight of the need to protect someone from further abuse. 

It is all too common for an abuser to claim parental alienation in an attempt to divert attention away from the allegations made against them. There is no clear resolution to this issue, there has to be a mechanism for perpetrators to be able to defend allegations, however, this should not be at the expense of the other parent or the children feeling unsafe. The courts need to be able to identify these cases at an early stage, prioritise them to avoid delay, and make robust decisions as quickly as possible

Indeed, this matter touches upon a complex area of the law. It would take highly-experienced lawyers to help victims navigate through such difficult circumstances. Here, at Williscroft & Co, our team of family law experts is well-versed in tackling legal challenges (such as this one) with skill and compassion.

Would you like to know more about this? The BBC's article can be read via the link below:
https://lnkd.in/eXgx7DZ7