If you've been failed by the family court system, this is why we're fighting for change

Right now, too many families are being pushed into conflict instead of being supported to rebuild. Children are growing up with one parent reduced to a visitor, not because it is right, but because the system defaults to division rather than balance.

That's why we are calling for a Families Act. Not a tweak, not a review, but real reform that reflects how families actually live today.

At its core, that means making 50/50 shared care the starting point, so children grow up with meaningful relationships with both parents, unless there is proven risk of harm. It means recognising that removing a parent without justification is not neutral: it has consequences that last a lifetime.

It also means finally treating parental alienation for what it is, a safeguarding issue, not a minor dispute. Because deliberately damaging a child's relationship with a parent is a private dispute; it's harm, and it should be treated as such.

The system must also become fairer in how it handles financial responsibility. The current Child Maintenance model is outdated and often punishes involved parents. A Families Act would reform the CMS so payments are based on actual time spent and shared responsibility, not arbitrary oversight methods that don't reflect real parenting.

Safeguarding must work for both parents. By strengthening Claire's Law and Sarah's Law, both parents should be informed of the outcome of an application where a child is involved. Keeping one parent in the dark doesn't protect children, it creates risk.

This isn't about mothers versus fathers. It's about children having stability, fairness, and the full support of their family.

Because when the system gets it wrong, children don't just lose time.

They lose relationships, identity, and trust.

Putting Families First means building a system that protects those relationships, not one that quietly erodes them.