One of the most difficult questions facing a judge in the family court is which parent should have custody of a child. To help them answer that, judges rely on independent experts to provide an impartial voice in the court. But what happens when the objectivity of those experts is questioned? This is the story of how the family courts have failed some of the children it exists to protect.

Reporters: Louise Tickle and Hannah Summers

Additional reporting: Paul Bradshaw, Serena Cesaro, William Jarrett and Tom Wall

Producer: Matt Russell

Artwork: Lola Williams

Editor: Jasper Corbett

An investigation by Tortoise in partnership with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

To find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app – for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.