On 21 October 2025, the UK Government announced a landmark set of reforms to family law that fundamentally alters how courts approach domestic abuse in child arrangements proceedings. For victims who have long felt let down by a system that appeared to prioritise contact over safety, these changes represent the most significant shift in a generation. If you are currently navigating family court proceedings or supporting someone who is, understanding these reforms is essential.
The End of the Parental Involvement Presumption
At the heart of the 2025 reforms is the repeal of the presumption of parental involvement from the Children Act 1989. Previously, courts were expected to presume that involvement of both parents in a child’s life would further the child’s welfare, unless there was evidence it would cause harm. This presumption, while well-intentioned, was widely criticised for placing an implicit pressure on courts to order contact with an abusive parent.
The repeal removes this structural bias. Judges are now required to prioritise the impact of abuse on children, even where the child has not been directly harmed. This reflects a growing body of research demonstrating that witnessing domestic abuse, including coercive control and psychological manipulation, causes lasting damage to a child’s development and sense of safety.
Strengthening the Welfare Paramountcy Principle
The Welfare Paramountcy Principle, the longstanding rule that the welfare of the child is the court’s paramount consideration, has been significantly strengthened under the reforms. Courts must now actively weigh all forms of abuse, including emotional and psychological harm, when determining child arrangements. Coercive control and emotional abuse are no longer treated as secondary concerns relative to physical violence.
Crucially, contact orders can now be refused where there is credible evidence of emotional or psychological harm to a child. This closes a loophole that previously allowed persistent perpetrators of non-physical abuse to secure ongoing court-ordered contact, placing children and protective parents in continued danger.
No Contact Presumption: A New Default
Perhaps the most headline-grabbing element of the 2025 domestic abuse reforms is what practitioners are calling the “no contact presumption.” Courts are no longer bound to assume that contact with both parents is automatically beneficial. Where domestic abuse is established or credibly alleged, the burden effectively shifts: the abusive parent must demonstrate why contact is in the child’s best interests, rather than the victim being required to prove why it should be denied.
This change follows years of campaigning by advocates including Claire Throssell, whose sons Jack and Paul were killed by their abusive father during a court-ordered contact visit. The tragedy highlighted the devastating consequences of a system that failed to listen to protective parents and underestimated the risk posed by abusers who used the family courts as a tool of continued control.
Coercive Control Given Greater Legal Weight
The 2025 reforms also place coercive control and emotional abuse on equal legal footing with physical violence in family court proceedings. Courts must consider all forms of abuse, physical, emotional, psychological, and financial, when assessing risk and determining arrangements for children.
This is not just a cultural shift in judicial attitude; it is a structural one. Judges and court staff are receiving enhanced training to recognise the patterns of coercive control, which can be subtle and cumulative rather than dramatic and episodic. The reform ensures that the complexity of abusive relationships is properly understood within proceedings.
MAPPA Extended to Coercive Control Offenders
A further significant development is the extension of Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to individuals convicted of coercive control offences and sentenced to 12 months or more. MAPPA coordinates the management of serious offenders across police, probation, and other agencies to protect the public. Including coercive control perpetrators in this framework signals a clear legislative message: coercive control is a serious, dangerous offence that warrants coordinated oversight.
For victims, this means that individuals who have been convicted of coercive control in the criminal courts will be subject to ongoing monitoring and risk management, providing an additional layer of protection beyond the family court.
The Pathfinder Courts Expansion
The Government is also expanding its “Pathfinder” courts pilot across England and Wales. The Pathfinder model takes a multi-agency, investigative approach to private family law proceedings involving domestic abuse allegations. Rather than leaving it to the parties to present evidence in an adversarial setting, Pathfinder courts actively gather information from sources such as social services, CAFCASS, and the police.
Early results from the pilot showed significantly improved outcomes for victims and children, with abuse allegations assessed more thoroughly and contact decisions made with a fuller picture of risk. The expansion of this model nationally is one of the most practical elements of the 2025 domestic abuse reforms.
What These Reforms Mean for You
If you are a victim of domestic abuse currently involved in children proceedings, the 2025 reforms strengthen your legal position considerably. The removal of the parental involvement presumption, the strengthened welfare principle, and the no contact presumption all work in favour of protective parents raising credible abuse allegations.
However, these changes do not remove the need for specialist legal advice. Understanding how to present evidence of coercive control, how to request special measures in court, and how to navigate the fact-finding process remains complex. Seeking representation from a family law solicitor experienced in domestic abuse cases is strongly recommended. If you are at risk or in danger, contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 (free, 24 hours).