Child Focused Courts
The renaming of Pathfinder Courts to Child Focused Courts matters more than it sounds. Words signal priorities. And after nearly 30 years of working with families caught up in proceedings, I can tell you: children feel the difference between a process that manages their parents' dispute and one that genuinely centres them. The national rollout announced in March is welcome news. The pilot data speaks for itself: cases resolved up to seven and a half months faster, and backlog
Common FAQ’s: Why does a Capacity Include a Cognitive?
I handle most of the enquiries that come in from solicitors about our capacity assessments at M Downs and Associates. One question that comes up more than any other is... 'Why does the cost estimate include a cognitive assessment when the court only ordered a capacity assessment?' It is a fair question, and the answer is straightforward: you cannot assess capacity properly without understanding how someone processes, retains and weighs information to make an informed decision
Common FAQ's: Can you complete a Psychiatric Report?
It's a fairly common enquiry that we receive, and it's always worth pausing to clarify what's being asked, because the answer depends on what you actually need… Sometimes "psychiatric" is a simple spelling mistake for psychological; it happens more often than you'd think. But there’s also some confusion about the difference between psychiatrists and psychologists, and their roles. Deciding which professional is right for you, depends on the question you need answered. A psych
Britain's Invisible Children
Children placed at risk and parents driven to despair over the 'shocking moral failure' of children being locked up rather than given the...