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EVENT DATE

30/09/2026

9:30am - 4:15pm

His Honour Judge Vavrecka and Danielle Peters, on behalf of the Hertfordshire Family Justice Board, warmly invite you to attend the:

Hertfordshire Local Family Justice Board Family Law Conference 2026

“ From Closed Doors to Digital Spaces: Rethinking Abuse and Control in Family Law “

Date: Wednesday 30 September 2026

Time: 9.30am – 4.15pm

Venue: The Fielder Centre, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield Avenue, Hatfield, AL10 9TP

Cost: £40

This full-day conference, organised by the Hertfordshire Local Family Justice Board and chaired by HHJ Vavrecka, will explore domestic abuse within the family justice system, with particular focus on modern developments such as digital abuse and coercive control. Bringing together leading practitioners from legal, policing, academic and support sectors, the event will examine how abuse is experienced, identified and addressed in contemporary family proceedings, alongside the wider impact on victims and children.

Key topics include:

•Lived experiences of domestic abuse and survivor perspectives

•Domestic abuse within the courtroom and family proceedings

•Digital abuse, coercive control and technology-facilitated harm

•The rise and influence of the “manosphere” in modern abuse dynamics

•Police case studies and investigative approaches

•The developmental and psychological impact of domestic abuse on children

We are proud to welcome a distinguished panel of experts from across the legal, clinical and community sectors, namely:

Sir Stephen Cobb – newly appointed President of the Family Division

Paul Deakin & Michelle Phillips - Domestic Abuse Practice Development Managers at Cafcass, seconded at Safe Lives Domestic Abuse Charity

Dr Charlotte Proudman – Barrister and Founder of Proudmans Law

Dr Ruth Weir – Deputy Director of the Violence and Society Centre at City St George’s University

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Fitton – Detective in the Hertfordshire Domestic Abuse Investigation and Safeguarding Team

Dr Swanepoel – Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Below, you will find detailed profiles of each of our guest speakers with an overview of their respective talks and the programme for the day.

Programme and Speakers

9:30am - Registration

Tea and coffee served to attendees.

10:00am - Greetings and welcome on behalf of

the Hertfordshire Local Family Justice Board - Danielle Peters

10:05am - Keynote Address from the designated Family Judge for Hertfordshire - His Honour Judge Vavrecka.

10:15am - Lived Experience of Domestic Abuse - Paul Deakin and Michelle Phillips

Paul Deakin is the Domestic Abuse Practice Development Manager at Cafcass seconded from SafeLives where she is Head of Practice. Paul has worked in the public and voluntary sector for over 20 years. For five years Paul has been the lead for SafeLives’ Beacon Sites, piloting and implementing Whole Family Integrated Services. Paul has experience of working within the Criminal and Family justice systems, and has frontline knowledge and experience of supporting domestic abuse victims and working with multi agency partners.

Michelle has worked for national domestic abuse charity SafeLives for almost 20 years, initially in a MARAC development role and IDVA trainer. As Head of Innovation Michelle leads Authentic Voice, the commitment to place lived expertise at the heart of all SafeLives do working closely with the expertise of SafeLives Changemakers and Pioneers. This work is rooted in lived expertise and includes developing their domestic abuse practice policy, supporting a national network of domestic abuse practice champions, co-chairing a multi-agency domestic abuse practice reference group and the roll out of Child Focused Courts.

AWAITING SCOPE OF DISCUSSION

11:00am - Domestic Abuse and Digital Coercion in the Court Room - Dr Charlotte Proudman

Dr Charlotte Proudman is an award-winning family law barrister and founder of Proudmans, a specialist family law firm representing survivors of domestic abuse. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed book He Said She Said: Truth, Trauma and the Struggle for Justice in Family Court

She will explore the growing intersection between coercive control and digital abuse within modern family proceedings. From surveillance through phones and social media to online harassment, tracking and intimidation, digital technologies are increasingly used to extend patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour. Drawing on her legal practice and advocacy for survivors, Dr Charlotte Proudman will examine how family justice professionals can better recognise, respond to and challenge technology-facilitated abuse while safeguarding survivors and children in an evolving digital landscape.

11:45am - 15 minute refreshment break.

12:00pm XDr Ruth Weir

Dr Ruth Weir is the Deputy Director and Senior Research Fellow at City St George’s University.

AWAITING BIO + SCOPE OF DISCUSSION

12.45pm – 1.45pmLunch

1:45pm - Police Case Studies of Domestic Abuse - DCI Richard Fitton

DCI Richard Fitton has been a police officer for 23 years and a detective for 19 years. DCI Fitton has worked in the Domestic Abuse unit since 2024 and manages investigations into domestic abuse and the safeguarding teams, including civil orders and Clare’s Law disclosures.

AWAITING SCOPE OF DISCUSSION

2:30pm Address - Sir Stephen Cobb, President of the Family Division of the High Court

3.15pm- 15 minute refreshment break

3.30pm - Developmental & Consequential Impact of Domestic Abuse on Victims and Children Dr Swanepoel

Dr Annie Swanepoel is a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with qualifications including MBChB, PhD, and FRCPsych. Dr Swanepoel works with children with intellectual disability in NELFT and has experience across inpatient and outpatient CAMHS settings. She holds the Cardiff University Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate in Civil and Family Law and has prepared medicolegal reports for Local Authorities and family courts covering areas such as psychiatric assessments, developmental trauma, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr Swanepoel will be discussing the impact of domestic abuse on children. behind closed doors, with particular interest in evolutionary perspectives on child development and mental health, following contributions to research in these areas.

4:15pm - Closing RemarksHHJ Vavrecka

Booking Information

The conference fee is £40.00, which includes refreshments and lunch. Spaces are limited and early registration is encouraged.

To reserve your place, please click on the link provided

This promises to be a valuable opportunity to learn, connect and reflect on how we can better support neurodivergent individuals across all aspects of the Family Justice System.

Anyone with a professional or academic interest in family and children law is welcome to attend. Please feel free to circulate this invitation with your colleagues.

We look forward to welcoming you.

CONTACT

Geraldine Poulain

[email protected]

LOCATION

University of Hertfordshire

Fielder Centre

Hatfield Avenue, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9TP