If you have searched for "Pathfinder court" you have probably found a mix of news stories, solicitors' updates and forum posts, some of them out of date. This guide puts it in one place, in plain English: what Pathfinder is, what it is called now, what actually changes for you as a parent, how it differs from the process most courts in England still use, and where it has reached.
The short version
- Pathfinder was the name of a pilot that changed how private law children cases (disputes between parents or family members about arrangements for a child) are run in the family court.
- In March 2026 the government announced it would roll the model out across the whole of England and Wales. It now has a permanent name: the Child Focused Model, and the courts running it are called Child Focused Courts.
- The biggest change: CafcassCafcass is the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It is independent of the court and of both parents, and its job is to advise the court about what is best for a child. (the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, the independent body that advises the family court about children) gathers the key information before the first hearing, in a document called a Child Impact Report, and where appropriate speaks to your child early.
- That means fewer hearings, and the early hearings matter more. Preparation before your first hearing is more important than it used to be.
- It is live in all of Wales and in several English regions, is expanding into the North East, North West and East Midlands during 2026 to 2027, and is due to cover all of England and Wales within about three years.
- The law itself has not changed. The court still decides what is best for your child under the Children Act 1989.
Why it was introduced
Under the old process, cases could take a year or more, often with several hearings. Children's own views were often not heard until well into the case. Information about risk, such as police or social services involvement, arrived in pieces. And many families came back to court later because the arrangements had not worked.
Pathfinder was first piloted in 2022 in Dorset and North Wales. The idea was simple: gather the important information at the start, involve specialist support early where there are safety concerns, listen to the child sooner, and make decisions with fewer hearings.
The government reports that in the pilot areas cases were resolved up to seven and a half months faster, court backlogs more than halved, and the proportion of children seen by a social worker or Cafcass officer more than doubled. The senior family judiciary welcomed the rollout, describing the emphasis on talking to children as long overdue.
What changes for parents: old process and new model side by side
Most courts in England outside the rollout areas still use the Child Arrangements Programme, the process in place since 2014. Here is how the two compare.
| Child Arrangements Programme (the older process) | Child Focused Model (formerly Pathfinder) | |
|---|---|---|
| What Cafcass produces before the first hearing | A safeguarding letter: police and local authority checks and a short phone call with each parent | A Child Impact Report: checks with police, the local authority and often the child's school, conversations with both parents, and where appropriate a conversation with the child |
| When your child's views are usually heard | Often only if the court orders a fuller welfare report (a section 7 reportA section 7 report is a welfare report about what is best for a child, written for the court by Cafcass or the local authority when the court asks for one. It makes recommendations; the decision stays with the court.) later in the case | Often before the first hearing, as part of the Child Impact Report |
| What the first hearing is for | Mostly setting directions: what reports are needed and when the next hearing is | Often a decision stage, because the court already has a fuller picture |
| Number of hearings | Commonly three or more (first hearing, dispute resolution appointment, final hearing) | Fewer, with the aim of resolving more cases early |
| Domestic abuse | Raised through forms and considered by the court; specialist support depends on local services | Families can be referred at the start for a risk assessment and support, including from Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) |
| Agencies involved | Mainly the court and Cafcass | A multi-agency approach: courts, Cafcass, local authorities, domestic abuse services and others working together |
| After the order | Parents return to court if arrangements break down | Some areas can list a review to check arrangements are working |
| The law applied | Children Act 1989, child's welfare paramount | Unchanged: Children Act 1989, child's welfare paramount |
What a case can look like in a Child Focused Court
Local practice varies, and your court will tell you the timetable for your case. In courts running the model, a case often follows this shape:
- Application. You apply on form C100A C100 is the form you fill in to ask the family court to make a decision about arrangements for a child. Once the court issues it, your case has a number and a first hearing is normally listed. (the form used to ask the court for an order about a child), with a C1A if you are raising concerns about harm.
- Gatekeeping. The court reviews the application early and decides what information is needed.
- Child Impact Report. Cafcass gathers information and speaks to both parents and, where appropriate, your child. Some courts aim to have this ready within about eight weeks.
- A decision stage. The court considers the report and the parents' positions. Many cases can be decided or largely settled at this point.
- Further hearings only where needed. For example, a fact-finding hearing if there are disputed allegations that would affect the arrangements, or a final hearing if things remain in dispute.
Some solicitors in pilot areas report average case times falling from around 37 weeks to around 12. Every case is different, and more complex cases take longer.
What this means for you in practice
Your first conversation with Cafcass matters more. It feeds directly into the report the court reads before it makes decisions. Be ready with the key dates, what the arrangements are now, what you would like them to be and why, and any concerns about your child's safety.
Your preparation needs to be done earlier. Because the court may make decisions early, a clear chronology (a dated list of events) and a short position statementA position statement is a short document, usually a page or two, telling the judge before a hearing where things stand for you and what you are asking the court to consider. It is not evidence, and it is yours: you decide every word in it. (what you are asking for and why) are worth having ready before the first hearing, not later.
Raise safety concerns at the start. The model is designed to pick up domestic abuse and safeguarding concerns early and connect families with specialist support. Put concerns in your application (the C1A form) and tell Cafcass.
Your child may be spoken to early. This is done by trained officers, in a way suited to your child's age, to understand their wishes and feelings, not to make them choose. Most professionals suggest telling your child simply that someone will be coming to hear how things are for them, and that there are no right or wrong answers.
Mediation still comes first where it is safe. In most cases you will still need a MIAMA MIAM is a first meeting with a trained mediator, on your own, to talk about whether mediation could help sort things out without a court hearing. Most people have to attend one before applying to court, unless an exemption applies. (a mediation information and assessment meeting) before applying, unless an exemption applies, for example where there has been domestic abuse.
Where it is live, and where it is going
As of the March 2026 announcement the model was running in 10 of the 43 family court areas, around a quarter of relevant cases, including:
- All of Wales, including North Wales, one of the two original pilot areas
- Dorset, the other original pilot area
- West Yorkshire (including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale)
- Birmingham and the West Midlands
- Hampshire and the Isle of Wight
Next phase (2026 to 2027), backed by £17 million of funding, covering the North East, North West and East Midlands: Northumbria and North Durham, Cleveland and South Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria, York and North Yorkshire, Cheshire and Merseyside, Northamptonshire, and Coventry and Warwickshire.
Full rollout across England and Wales is targeted by the end of the current Spending Review period, within about three years.
Areas are switching on in phases, so this list will change. We check it regularly and show the date we last did so at the top of this page.
How to tell which process your case is on
- Your paperwork. If Cafcass says it is preparing a Child Impact Report, you are on the Child Focused Model. If it refers to a safeguarding letter and a FHDRAA FHDRA is the first hearing in a children case: a first hearing and dispute resolution appointment. The court looks at what is agreed, what is not, and what needs to happen next. (First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment), you are on the Child Arrangements Programme.
- Ask the court. The court that issued your case number can tell you which process it runs.
- If your case started before your area switched, it is generally handled under the process it began on. If you are unsure, ask the court office and keep a note of the answer.
Common questions
Is Pathfinder the same as the Child Focused Model?
Yes. Pathfinder was the pilot name. Since March 2026 it has been called the Child Focused Model, and the courts running it Child Focused Courts.
Does the new model change the law?
No. The court still applies the Children Act 1989, and your child's welfare is still its paramount consideration. What changes is the order and speed of the process.
Will I still need a MIAM?
In most cases, yes, unless an exemption applies.
Will Cafcass speak to my child?
Where it is appropriate for their age and circumstances, often before the first hearing. It is done by trained officers and is about understanding your child's wishes and feelings.
Does it apply in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
No. The Child Focused Model applies to family courts in England and Wales only.
What if my area is not on the list yet?
Your case will follow the Child Arrangements Programme. The preparation is similar either way, so anything you prepare now will still be useful.
Sources
Ministry of Justice written statement, 17 March 2026; Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, "Judges welcome roll-out of Child Focused Courts"; Welsh Government, "Child Focused Courts announced for national rollout"; published guidance from family law practitioners in pilot areas. Facts checked 28 September 2026.
How familycourt.app and McKenzie can help
familycourt.app is built around family court procedure in England and Wales. When you describe your situation, McKenzie, the app's AI assistant, shows you where you are on a plain-English map of your case, including whether your court runs the Child Focused Model or the older process, and what usually comes next. It explains each stage, including the Child Impact Report, in plain English. Document Studio then helps you prepare your own chronology and position statement from your own documents, in the format the court expects, so you are ready before the first hearing rather than after it.