“The family courts are not fit for purpose.” 

“They are out of touch.” 

“Judges do not understand abuse, what it is and what it looks like.”

There are too many family court users who say this. These are the types of statements many make when reporting their experiences. And it’s the volume of people saying this that should be concerning!  

So why is this the experience of family court survivors, in particular where domestic abuse has been alleged? Why are these comments not being taken seriously? And, most of all, why do we keep hearing of the same negative experiences again and again?

Because judges are out of touch! 

A victim-survivor’s journey does not start on the day they come to court or when they first come face to face with the judge. They have already gone through a lifetime of trauma leading up to this point. And when they finally reach the courts, they find a judge who does not understand the abuse a litigant has suffered pre-court. Instead, debunked, outdated myths such as finding out ‘what is the perfect victim?’ is looked at and prioritised instead.

And that’s where our podcast ‘Memoirs of a McKenzie Friend’ starts. 

 SERIES 1 –  PART 1  – EPISODES 1-10 

“If it were that bad, you would have left.”

“But he didn’t hit you.”

“That’s not proper abuse.”

These and many other outdated myths are still alive and well in today’s family courts. The first part of series 1 looks to dispel defunct assumptions surrounding abuse. It aims to help the family courts and the general public to understand the behind-the-scenes experiences that has led a victim-survivor to be stood in front of a judge begging for protection, finally finding the strength to ask for help.

SERIES 1 – PART 2 – EPISODES 11-20 

“Well, now you’ve left, it’s all okay.  Just get on with your life.”

Part 2 examines how judges are blind to the concept of post-separation abuse; the most hidden and misunderstood abuse in the family courts.

These episodes aim to explain the barriers to ending a relationship and how victim-survivors are targeted and punished for leaving, not just by their abuser but also by the sectors they turn to for help, such as the police, housing, banks, and most of all, magistrates. 

SERIES 2 – PART 1 – EPISODES 21-30 

“It’ll all be okay now. Just tell the judge.”

Series 2 lifts the lid on the third wave of abuse in a victim-survivor’s leaving journey – the pre-hearing abuse.

From legal lies, ‘misplaced’ paperwork to bundle abuse; the shocking truth is that corruption not only exists in our family courts but it is supported and encouraged by the judiciary. 

SERIES 2 – PART 2 – EPISODES 31-40

The forgotten victims.

The family courts often fail to understand the word ‘family’, i.e. children. 

The judge’s failure to see how children, older and younger, are impacted by domestic abuse, post-separation abuse and pre-hearing abuse, can leave them in the most vulnerable position. 

They have no voice of their own and are often represented via the safe parent, who has already been subjected to brutal treatment at the hands of cruel judges. They then go on to find that third-party agencies, such as Cafcass, are just as ill-informed and out of touch as the family courts and their judges. No one is coming to help. No one is there to give them a voice and for them to be heard. 

FUTURE SERIES AND EPISODES ARE YET TO BE ANNOUNCED

Memoirs of a McKenzie Friend® is a registered trademark