Supporting your child through parental conflict
REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara, 2026-08-28
Why this matters in family proceedings
If your case reaches court (private Children Act s.8 work, or Cafcass safeguarding), what the court looks at first is each parent's capacity to shield the child from adult conflict — Welfare Checklist, s.1(3)(b) Children Act 1989.
Understanding conflict:
- What children experience: raised voices, tension, one parent criticising the other, feeling torn between two people they love
- What helps: both parents keeping the child out of adult disputes entirely
How to protect your child during proceedings
1. Never discuss the case in front of the child 2. Use co-parenting apps (e.g. OurFamilyWizard / TalkingParents) for case comms 3. Keep one child-focused email thread with your ex (no blame, no evidence-dumping) 4. Handovers that don't require face-to-face contact where tension is high 5. If you're the parent organising contact, keep the routine as normal as possible
If your child is distressed (in-court)
- Ask the court for a separate waiting area or staggered arrival times
- Use the child's own words for wants/needs — never in front of the child
- If the child is in education, ask if an appropriate adult will be present
- Children are almost never required to attend family court
Support lines
- Childline 0800 1111 (24/7)
This page is part of the YourFamilyCase.co.uk information hub. It is not legal advice.
Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.