Charities Welcome Change to Law on Presumed Parental Contact for Kids

Major family court law change finally puts children's safety above parental 'rights' of abusers

In a win for the welfare and well-being of children, the government plans to repeal the legal principle which enshrines presumption of parental involvement within the family court system. Put simply, this means that in cases of domestic abuse the court will not assume that it is always in the best interests of children to have contact with both parents. Instead, evidence will be considered on a case by case basis. The move will reform the long-p…

Charities welcome change to law on presumed parental contact for kids

Family lawyers and campaigners have called the repeal of a law presuming parental contact a ‘groundbreaking’ move in ensuring the safety of children. Currently, family courts in England and Wales must apply the principle that children should have contact with both parents, even when there is a known history of abuse, which domestic violence charities say puts children at risk.

Long overdue: Government repeals presumption of parental involvement | End Violence Against Women

Last night (21st October 2025), the government announced plans to repeal the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989, to protect children from abusive parents. Responding to this, Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said: “We strongly welcome these plan to repeal the presumption of parental involvement, which will better protect children from abuse and save lives. This is a long overd…

Family law shift (repealing the presumption of parental involvement in the Children Act 1989) hailed as victory by feminists.

Our thanks to Ed Bartlett for this piece in the Guardian. He writes: “Of course, it is a well-proven fact that mothers are more likely than fathers to engage in child abuse: See Victims by Relationship to Their Perpetrators. Tables 3-9.” Extracts from the Guardian piece take up the remainder of this blog post: “The family courts will no longer work on the presumption that having contact with both parents is in the best interests of a child, in a…

Hestia responds to Government action to protect children from abusive parents

Hestia welcomes plan to safeguard children from abusive parents, strengthening protections for survivors of domestic abuse and their families.

Refuge responds to plans to repeal the presumption of parental involvement

The post Refuge responds to plans to repeal the presumption of parental involvement appeared first on Refuge.