When the System Fails a Survivor: How the Family Courts Left Me Homeless
I never thought I would be writing this from a place of homelessness. I never thought the very system that was meant to protect me — the family court, the appeals process, and public institutions — would not only fail me, but actively leave me without shelter, dignity, or justice.
In 2019, I bought my home. My name was the only one on the mortgage. I paid every instalment. I kept that roof over our heads. And yet, on 25 February 2025, I was evicted — following a court order that handed control of my home to the very person I was trying to heal from: my ex-husband, a man with no legal interest in the property.
He lives securely in his own home. I, the mortgage-holder, the lawful owner, live on the streets.
The family court process ignored key safeguards for domestic abuse survivors. There was no trauma-informed approach, no proper assessment of vulnerability, and no proportionality. My PTSD diagnosis, my history of abuse, my ongoing vulnerability — all overlooked.
I turned to the Court of Appeal, filing under CPR Rule 52.30 — the only route available for cases of exceptional injustice. I cited the case of Taylor v Lawrence. I included a letter from Mr Justice Nugee who, in May 2024, granted a stay of execution and recognised that eviction would cause me irreparable harm. But it was overturned.
Since then, I’ve been left with no legal recourse and no home. The council asks for documents I’ve already provided. The court refuses to hear my voice. My Member of Parliament remains silent.
What has happened to me is not unique — and that is the tragedy. Survivors of domestic abuse should never be retraumatised by the very systems designed to protect them. Safeguarding isn’t optional. It’s law. Practice Direction 12J. Family Procedure Rule 3A. The Human Rights Act. TOLATA.
My rights weren’t just ignored — they were erased.
This isn’t just about my home. It’s about the future of justice for survivors. I speak up now because silence is no longer protection — it’s complicity. And I know there are others who feel invisible in courtrooms, in case files, and in society.
To those in power: We need reform. We need trauma-informed justice. We need safeguards that mean something. And most of all — we need to stop punishing people for surviving.
#JusticeForSurvivors #ReformFamilyCourts #StopForcedHomelessness