Lewis: Reducing barriers and building trust
A team of child protection solicitors have created a new family law service, specialising in support for parents and children with neurodivergent conditions.
The neurodiversity aware family law service, which was launched this week by the London-based law firm TV Edwards, aims to remove the misunderstandings that exist on all sides of the family justice system about conditions like autism, ADHD and dyslexia.
The team is led by partner Alia Lewis, who said: “The growing prevalence of neurodivergent children and adults within the family justice system, coupled with increasing demand for specialist knowledge and support, represents a significant opportunity to lead innovation in practice, enhance outcomes for families, and shape future standards across the sector.”
But despite the increase in the number of cases, and more family lawyers recognising how neurodiversity could influence how their clients were perceived in court, Ms Lewis said misunderstandings around neurodivergency across the family justice system remained high.
This often led to trauma, parents being unfairly blamed, and poor court decisions that have a “devastating” impact on families, she explained.
In cases across England and Wales, nearly 65% of parents who have been accused of fabricated or induced illness (FII) describe their children as autistic or having an invisible condition.
A report in late 2024 by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services found autistic parents were three times more likely to face FII allegations than non-autistic parents – often because of the lack of understanding in the justice system around neurodivergence.
Ms Lewis said: “Looking at a case through a neurodivergent lens can completely change its landscape and the trajectory for the family involved. The family justice system needs to adapt to meet the needs of all individuals so that it is truly neuro-inclusive.”
The new service will cover a range of cases, including child protection, care proceedings, contact disputes and FII.
It has been designed to make people with neurodivergent conditions feel understood by their legal team, and help them understand how the family court works so they have confidence in the decisions being made about them and their children.
The team wants also to work across the justice system to help legal professionals get a better understanding of neurodivergence in general and “the intricacies and nuances” of each condition.
As well as autism, ADHS and dyslexia, the team will support clients with rejection sensitive dysphoria – an extreme emotional reaction to real or perceived rejection, criticism, or failure – and pathological demand avoidance, a form of autism which causes extreme anxiety and an overwhelming need to avoid the demands of everyday life.
Ms Lewis said: “Family law proceedings can feel overwhelming, particularly where behaviour, communication differences or sensory needs are misunderstood by the legal system.
“Our approach is designed to reduce those barriers and build trust from the outset – from completing an ‘All about Me’ document to avoid repetition and reduce stress, to simplifying legal processes, and identifying where neurodivergence is being missed or misunderstood.”
Research has shown that one in five people in the UK are neurodivergent but there is a lack of understanding of neurodivergence within the family justice system.
This led to neurodivergent adults and children not getting the support they need during a case, or their behaviour being misinterpreted, Ms Lewis said.
Some people, for example, may be seen as deliberately disruptive during a hearing, when in fact they are dealing with sensory overload or struggling to process complex information.
Ms Lewis is the also co-founder of FLANC – Family Law Advice for the Neurodivergent Community – a non-profit initiative focused on improving access to justice and systemic reform for neurodivergent children and adults.
She added: “Nationally there is an urgent need for us to improve the way in which we care plan and case manage in cases involving neurodivergence to ensure fair access to justice for neurodivergent children and adults is consistent and not dependent on a practitioner having a particular interest or personal experience in this area.”
Her work at TV Edwards and FLANC is shaped by her own personal experience.
Ms Lewis said: “Being a parent to an autistic child and understanding the prevalence of neurodivergence within society has profoundly impacted the way in which I practise as a solicitor.
“It has led to a heightened awareness of neurodivergent traits, which helps me recognise cases where neurodivergence has been missed or misunderstood, and where this has led to discriminatory practises or the formation of inaccurate narratives.
“This isn’t a niche issue; it’s a systemic gap. As both a solicitor and the parent of an autistic child, I’ve seen first-hand how misunderstandings can negatively shape outcomes.”
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