What is Pathfinder?.

As we head into a new year, it is important to consider the recent changes in the Family Court which will impact the way in which Children Act applications are dealt with in our local area. Navigating the Family Court system can be an emotional and daunting experience, especially when it involves children.

As of 11 November 2025, the Family Court introduced the Pathfinder programme which has replaced the previously used Child Arrangements Programme (CAP) in the Wolverhampton area, which also covers Shropshire (Pathfinder had been in place for some time in North Wales and Dorset).

There are many similarities with both, but a key difference is that the introduction of Pathfinder has attempted to streamline the process to make it quicker for families to reach a resolution regarding disputes about their children. There has been previous criticism of the Court proceedings being too slow for families, and could also re-traumatise victims where there had been elements of domestic abuse. The speed in which some cases are dealt with has placed greater importance on the need for seeking legal advice as soon as possible to ensure that court deadlines are not missed, and to obtain the appropriate guidance from the outset regarding your specific situation.

The Pathfinder process has been designed as follows:

Step 1:

• The court will review the application to ensure the parties have attempted mediation (or applied the correct exemption) and ask the local authority to determine their involvement within the last 12 weeks. The application will then be referred to a legal advisor for Gatekeeping (GK1);

Step 2:

• The legal advisor will direct the local authority or CAFCASS to complete and file a Child Impact Report (CIR) within 10 weeks.
• A CIR will involve completing checks with the police and local authority regarding any involvement, and will speak to both parents involved in the application.
• The court advisor (completing the CIR) should speak to the child[ren] as part of their enquiries for the report.

Step 3:

• Once the CIR is filed, the second Gatekeeping (GK2) and allocation will take place. An order will be made where appropriate based on the recommendations of the CIR or the matter is listed for a hearing within two weeks.

Step 4:

• A decision hearing will take place before judge or magistrate (depending on allocation). A Final Order could be made at this hearing, or if an agreement cannot be reached, the case will be listed for a Final Hearing.

The Pathfinder process has meant that the number of hearings parties attend may dramatically reduce. Instead, a greater responsibility is placed on the parties in presenting their case to CAFCASS.

What this means for you

At Lanyon Bowdler, we appreciate that disputes with an ex-partner about your children can be an emotionally charged time for all involved. As parents, you will both want what is best for your child, but you may have different views on how this can be achieved.

Pathfinder has made a step towards reducing the time families spend within proceedings, and the introduction of CIR will mean that a court advisor (from CAFCASS or the local authority) will become involved with the family at an early stage, in order to speak to everyone involved regarding the application.

It is important that parties seek legal advice prior to speaking with the court advisor to ensure they understand the process and what is expected of them. Such advice would also assist parties to give them the skill set to effectively present their case to CAFCASS or any other expert involved.

By way of reminder, due to the speed in which some cases are dealt with there is greater importance in obtaining legal advice as soon as possible to ensure key dates aren’t missed, and to make sure you get the relevant guidance from the outset regarding your specific situation.

If you have just received documents from the court, or your ex-partner has suggested they will be making an application to court, get in touch with a member of our team as soon as possible for tailored advice for your circumstances. At Lanyon Bowdler we can provide legal advice in relation to all family law matters and we offer a range of no obligation fixed fee appointments, to ensure you feel supported from the outset.