About the Family Solution Group
The Family Solutions Group was set up in 2020 by the then Mr Justice Cobb, as a group of multi-disciplinary experts with experience of working with separating families. Our work is about advocating for the rights of the child in family separation and improving the experience of children and families, outside of any application to the family court.
This is an issue which impacts a large proportion of the nation’s children:
There are 4 million children in separated families.
Schools tell us that around 40-50% of children are registered with parents with different addresses.
And yet
There is no coordinated oversight to manage family separations well.
There is no authorised voice to speak up for children’s rights and needs.
More is needed
We are calling for a Commissioner for Separated Families, to provide coordinated oversight throughout the family separation space and to ensure children’s rights and needs are represented and prioritised.
When parents separate, families often face a confusing mix of services and little guidance on where to turn. A dedicated Commissioner would provide clear leadership, make support easier to find and better connected, reduce harmful conflict, and put children’s wellbeing at the heart of every decision that affects them.
Read our briefing paper on why a Commissioner for Separated Families is urgently needed.
Our Impact
The Family Solution Group’s first report “What about me?” set out the need to reframe systems which have evolved over many years and restore child welfare and children’s voices to the centre.
Since then: we’ve promoted child-centred and child-inclusive solutions for separating families; we’ve met with civil servants, parliamentarians, professional bodies, schools, young people, family hubs, charities, domestic abuse professionals, judiciary; we’ve published further reports, created a Directory of Separated Parenting Programmes and PSHE materials; we’ve spoken at conferences, delivered training, written articles and responded to government consultations.
Family Solutions Group is a registered charity in England and Wales charity number 1219626.
Watch our new film to hear more about our work and campaigns
Find out more about our work
Our Work and reports
Language Matters
The words we use shape our mindsets, which in turn affect how we think and behave.
What About Me
Reframing support for families following parental separation, and advocating for children’s support and representation.
Putting Children First
Calls for greater focus on child welfare when parents separate, and calls for a Commissioner for Separated Families.
Children’s Voices in Family Separation
The importance of consulting with children in family cases, and making sure their voice is heard.
A Child’s Right to Matter
There are £3.8 million children in separated families. This report shines a light on these children’s needs & voices.
Birmingham Family Hub Pilot
Early support for separating families: A pilot within Family Hubs.
“Children have rights, needs and voices that deserve to be heard. One of the strongest messages children and young people consistently share is that they want to be listened to – genuinely listened to – in all decisions that affect their lives. Every child has their own needs, feelings and experiences, and these must be both recognised and taken seriously.”
Rosanna, aged 17
Those of us working in the system long for a better way of helping children, of helping parents to resolve what are, in effect, relationship difficulties when they break up. President of the Family Division, November 2020
The needs of children when parents separate have been overlooked. It is a palpable truth. President of the Family Division, November 2023
The whole apron around the court needs to be populated with other resources to allow people to understand what normal looks like, what people do when they split up, and just feel reassured that they are doing something that is right for their child.’ President of Family Division, Justice Select Committee Oct 2025
Our family court judges do an incredible job for some of the most difficult and sensitive cases coming into our court system. However, it should not be an open door to court for any parental dispute; other help is needed. If families can resolve their divorce and child arrangements better, their children will be healthier, happier, more likely to get jobs, and less likely to commit crimes. They, the parents, will be healthier, happier, and more productive at work. It is a win, win for all – and it does need a clear system in place for issues to be resolved away from court, where appropriate. Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales
