Nicholas Allen KC contributes to the Family Solutions Group report

12 March 2026

A new report from the Family Solutions Group (FSG), 'Putting Children First; the evolving role of the legal professional', has been published today (12 March 2026).

The report, authored by Charlotte Bradley and Edward Cooke, sets out to ask:

• How has the role of the family law professional changed in recent years?
• What skills are now needed to improve practice?
• Child welfare – what does it mean and how is it applied in the different contexts around family separation?
• How do family law professionals legitimately, accurately and sensitively receive the voice of the child when supporting separating families in and out of the Family Court?
• What training is required to ensure that family law professionals meet the challenges of this vital work?
• And what importance do family law professionals attach to reflective supervision – not just for individual professional development but to allow self-reflection on the impact of the professionals' work on the client and the wider family including the child.

The findings are the result of a wide-ranging consultation with family lawyers and parents to understand more about the role of family professionals in 2026 and beyond. Nicholas Allen KC was a member of the working group and also a consultee for the study.

Key findings:

• 92% of respondents (parents and professionals) agree or strongly agree that family law professionals should have a responsibility/duty to the children in addition to their duty to their client
• 94% agree or strongly agree that they should have a responsibility to mitigate conflict between separating parents
• 86% of professionals agree or strongly agree that the voice of the child should be considered as standard practice (only 4% disagreed)
• 91% are in favour of mandating training in at least 50% of the training areas recommended in the FSG's 2020 report, 'What about Me'
• 79% of professionals believe that legal professionals should have reflective supervision/practice.

In changing times for the profession the message is clear: family lawyers need to adapt to meet the needs of their clients and to the changing ways in which family law is practised.

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