Protecting children from toxic family separations

18 March 2026

Catherine Baksi writes in The Times about the recommendations arising from the recently published Family Solutions Group report. 

The report, Putting Children First: The evolving role of the family law professional, is co-authored by Edward Cooke, Founder and Managing Director of Edward Cooke Family Law, alongside Charlotte Bradley, Senior Consultant at Kingsley Napley. 

The piece quotes from the report: “The way in which family law professionals support families going through separation can have a significant impact on how a separation unfolds,” adding that “a poorly handled separation, resulting in drawn out and hostile proceedings, can cause lasting damage to parental relationships”.

The report also says that all too often “children can become caught in the crossfire of litigation, whether directly or indirectly, and through the toxicity of their parents’ communications”.

The report has the backing of the most senior family law judge in England and Wales, Sir Andrew McFarlane, as well as Lord Justice Cobb who wrote the foreword to the report. Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children's Commissioner, also supports the report and has written a letter which the report's authors, Edward and Charlotte, encourage all family law professionals to give to separating parents.