Monday 26 January 11am – 12pm
For Family Justice Professionals
Register here
This webinar introduces the ‘Children’s Voices in Family Separation’ protocol endorsed by the President of the Family Division, to ensure children’s voices can be heard in family separation.
Introducing the new protocol for ‘Children’s Voices in Family Separation’ launched by the President of the Family Division in June 2025.
This protocol is a means for all parents working with legal professionals to hear the voice of the child, when issues are being resolved away from court. Currently, only those families whose parents are in mediation are offered child consultations. For those in children’s proceedings, the child will hopefully be consulted by CAFCASS, but for all those families who are not in children proceedings and not in mediation, there is no current mechanism for the voice of the child to be heard, as part of the decision-making undertaken by the parents, in accordance with the child’s rights under UNCRC Art 12, and FPR PD 12B 4.4.
The new protocol sets out a clear step by step process for legal professionals to introduce a child consultant, to meet the child and provide the feedback to the parents and those instructed by the parents. The materials are all downloadable on the Family Solutions Website – Children’s Voices in Family Separation – Family Solutions Group.
Learning Objectives:
- Understanding the child’s rights to be consulted, in all processes, when parents are making decisions which affect them
- Demystifying what this is
- Going through the protocol, step by step, so that the process is clear to understand
- Legal professionals will be encouraged to promote this with their clients who are not in mediation
- CIM mediators will be encouraged to promote this as something they can offer to their local network of family solicitors.
| Your speakers | |
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Helen began her career as a family solicitor, before requalifying as a family mediator in 2007. She now works exclusively as a mediator, and is a founding partner of Wells Family Mediation in Kent. She is a PPC, a foundation trainer and as a CIM-accredited mediator is a firm promoter of the rights of children to be heard. Helen is also involved in policy work, and chairs the Family Solutions Group. As part of the various FSG initiatives, Helen set up the working group for Children’s Voices in Family Separation, to promote the opportunity for all children to be consulted when legal professionals are involved in supporting their parents. |
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Elizabeth Fletcher is a family solicitor and Director at FLiP. She is also an FMC accredited mediator and a collaborative practitioner. She advises on all aspects of family law with a particular focus on complex arrangements for children — both in the UK and internationally — as well as financial disputes arising from marriage breakdowns. Elizabeth regularly supports neurodiverse clients and drew on this experience when working with FLANC to develop the NCDR toolkit. Elizabeth is on the Working Group for Family Mediation Week and is actively involved in several sub-groups of Family Solutions Group, including looking at how to ensure the voice of the child is heard in all NCDR processes. |
