Research looks at families’ experiences of Private Law Pathfinder pilot courts

Research published on 6 January 2026 reports how children and parents experienced the Private Law Pathfinder pilot in Dorset and North Wales, where child arrangements cases follow a revised court process.

The research explores the experiences of children and families who have been through the Pathfinder pilot in the Dorset and North Wales family court areas. It draws on participants' own reflections on those experiences and covers Dorset and North Wales only.

What the pilot is

The Pathfinder pilot aims to improve the court experience and outcomes for children and parents in private family law proceedings, including those who have experience of domestic abuse. It was designed in response to a recommendation in the Harm Panel report to reform private law by trialling a more problem-solving, investigative approach that better supports victims of domestic abuse and other harms.

In Pathfinder courts, the usual Child Arrangements Programme (CAP) is suspended and replaced with a revised process for relevant cases.

The pilot launched in Dorset and North Wales in February 2022. It has since extended to eight more court areas, including all of Wales, Birmingham, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

What the research set out to do

The study explores the experiences of children and families who have been through the revised Pathfinder model, to understand how those experiences align with the key policy goals of the pilot. It also aims to provide evidence on the lived experience of children and families, including those experiencing, or at risk of, domestic abuse and other harms, under the new approach.

The research is part of the wider evaluation of Pathfinder. A previous process evaluation and financial analysis were published in March 2025.

Sources

• Private Law Pathfinder Pilot: understanding the experience of children and families, GOV.UK, published 6 January 2026.