Family Court & Cafcass · Parent Defence

Family Court & Cafcass Lie Detector Test — UK Wide

Falsely accused by an ex-partner in the UK separation proceedings? Cafcass involved? Lost contact with your children over an allegation that did not happen? Our P300 lie detector test gives you objective evidence on specific contested factual claims. £499. Same-day £599. Not court evidence — but the report can influence Cafcass officers, mediators and your solicitor.

£499

Standard Test

95%

Accuracy

1hr

Report Time

No

Stress Distortion

Get the clarity you need Today.

No more guessing, no more sleepless nights. A definitive answer, in a single session.

A real answer, at last

The question that's followed you for months — sometimes years — is resolved in one 90-minute session. Examiner-led and evidence-based, so you can trust what it tells you.

In writing, and it holds up

A clear, written, defensible result. No "inconclusive", no grey areas — a conclusion you can stand behind and actually use.

Same day, anywhere in the UK

Your report is in your hand within the hour, before you leave the room. Same-day appointments available nationwide.

Family Court Lie Detector Testing in the UK — Honest Service Description

A lie detector test in the the UK family court context occupies a very specific niche. Let us be upfront with you about exactly what it does and does not do. UK family courts have consistently declined to admit polygraph or P300 lie detector evidence — the position from Re A and B EWFC 40 and Re L (No 2) EWHC 3191 is settled. So the question is not whether the report will be entered into evidence. It will not. The question is whether having an independent expert report on specific contested adult-to-adult factual claims can influence the people whose perception of you matters in the proceedings: your Cafcass officer, your mediator, the other parent's solicitor, your own solicitor, your wider family. The honest answer is that it can — not as evidence, but as one piece of credible third-party material in a process where adult-to-adult credibility assessments are otherwise based on conflicting statements. In the UK family disputes the standard of proof is the balance of probabilities, lower than the criminal standard, which means how decision-makers weigh credibility carries real consequences. £499 standard, £599 same-day if your Cafcass meeting is imminent. We will not test children under any circumstances. We will not take the case if the framing suggests using the test to undermine a genuine child safeguarding concern.

The polygraph problem in the UK family proceedings is structural. Polygraph measures stress responses. Parents facing the loss of contact with their children are by definition in extreme stress. That is exactly the scenario where polygraph false positives are highest. P300 EEG sidesteps the issue entirely by measuring an involuntary recognition response that happens in milliseconds — before stress can influence the reading. For the UK parents who have been falsely accused, this distinction is not academic. It is the difference between a test that works for you and a test that works against you.

How the P300 Lie Detector Test Helps in Family Court Disputes

Six honest, concrete ways our the UK family-court clients use the test result. The test is never a substitute for the formal process — it is supplementary objective input on specific contested factual claims between two adults.

Cafcass Officer Credibility Input

Cafcass officers are not bound by court rules of evidence. They consider all available material when assessing adult-to-adult credibility. An independent expert report on a specific contested factual claim is one of the few pieces of independent material in disputes that otherwise come down to word against word.

Mediation Deadlock Breaker

Family mediation is not bound by court rules of evidence at all. Mediators can consider any material both parties agree is relevant. A signed expert report on one parent's account often gives the negotiation enough momentum to resolve.

Solicitor Case Strategy Input

Your solicitor decides how to use the report. Some include it in correspondence with the other side's legal team. Some keep it in the file as a credibility marker. Some use it to test whether their own client's account stands up before taking the case forward.

Your Own Certainty Before Acting

Many the UK parents book the test for themselves first — to know objectively where they stand on the contested facts before deciding their next move. The certainty itself often changes how the situation feels and how it gets handled.

Counter-Allegation Defence

When you raised concerns about the other parent and have since been hit with counter-allegations, the timing alone is suspicious but hard to prove either way. The test on a specific counter-allegation gives your solicitor something objective to point to.

Re-Establishing Contact

Where contact has been suspended over a contested allegation, the test on the specific contested claim can be one piece of input that supports a Cafcass recommendation for resumed or supervised contact. It does not decide the question — but it can move it.

Important: the test is not admitted as evidence in UK family courts and we never claim otherwise. We do not test children. We do not take cases where the test is being used to undermine a genuine child safeguarding concern. We will not provide a report we believe is being misused, and we will discuss every case briefing with you upfront.

Common Family Court Scenarios We See

The four most common contexts where the UK parents and their solicitors instruct the test. Every case is briefed individually — we screen out cases where the test would be inappropriate before we accept the instruction.

Psychological Abuse / Coercive Control Allegation

Allegations notoriously hard to evidence either way. We cannot rebut a pattern — but we can test specific incidents within the pattern. If those specific contested incidents resolve in your favour, that adds weight to your overall account.

Drug or Alcohol Use Claim

Specific claims about substance use, frequency, occasions or behaviour around children. Where the claim is specific and contested, the test gives an objective input that hair-strand testing and self-reporting cannot.

Counter-Allegation Defence

You raised concerns about the other parent and have since been hit with counter-allegations. The timing is suspicious but hard to prove. We test the specific counter-allegation — solicitor gets the report to challenge with.

Mediation Deadlock

Mediator stuck because your account and the other parent's account on a specific factual question are equal weight. The signed expert report on that specific question often gives the mediation enough new input to break the deadlock.

How the Booking Works

Five stages from submitting the booking form to the report landing in your inbox. Same process whether your test is next week or this afternoon.

1

Fill Out the Booking Form

Submit your details online. Takes under two minutes. No payment until the booking is confirmed by phone.

2

Assessor Calls You Back

Within minutes an assessor calls to finalise the questions, confirm your the UK location and discuss what the test can do for your specific situation.

3

Examiner Dispatched

The examiner travels to your private venue in the UK — your home, a hotel room, anywhere private.

4

Test On Site

The eight-channel EEG test runs for around twenty minutes. The brainwave response cannot be faked.

5

Report Within One Hour

The written report is dispatched encrypted to your email within one hour of the test ending. Comprehensive and fully detailed.

Same-day available: Book before 1pm for same-day testing in the UK. Evening tests until 9pm.

What the Test Can and Cannot Do — Honest Version

We will not oversell this. Knowing the limits up front means you book with realistic expectations and use the report effectively.

What the test CAN do

  • Provide objective input on specific contested adult-to-adult factual claims, with 90 to 95 percent accuracy
  • Be considered by Cafcass officers as part of their broader assessment (they are not bound by court rules of evidence)
  • Be referenced in family mediation, where rules of evidence do not apply
  • Give your solicitor an independent expert report to use as they see fit in case strategy
  • Work reliably when you are anxious — recognition responses happen before stress can develop
  • Counter a polygraph result that was unfair because anxiety distorted the polygraph
  • Give you, the tested parent, certainty for your own decision-making

What the test CANNOT do

  • Be admitted as evidence in UK family courts — they have consistently declined and continue to decline polygraph and P300 reports
  • Determine custody, contact arrangements, or any safeguarding decision — those belong with Cafcass and the court
  • Tell anyone you are a good parent — it tests specific contested factual claims, not parenting quality
  • Be used on children — we do not test minors under any circumstances
  • Override a genuine child safeguarding concern — we will not take the case if that is what is being asked
  • Replace your solicitor, your Cafcass officer, or the formal family court process
  • Rebut a pattern allegation overall — only specific incidents within it

Why we say this up front: family court is the area where lie detector services are most often oversold. Some providers claim "supports your court case" or "admissible as evidence" — both untrue and potentially damaging to your case if your solicitor relies on them. We tell you exactly what the test can and cannot do, so you and your solicitor make the right decisions about whether and how to use it.

Where We Can Conduct the Test in the UK

The test does not require a clinic. The equipment is portable and the test runs in any private quiet space for around ninety minutes total including setup.

Your Home

Most common venue. Any quiet room with a chair and table works. The kit is professional but unobtrusive.

Hotel Meeting Room

For maximum discretion we regularly use Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, ibis and similar across the UK.

Office or Serviced Room

Your office, a serviced meeting room, or any private business space works for the test.

Anywhere Private in the UK

Serviced apartment, conference centre, private rental. Tell us your situation and we help find a venue.

Pricing — Transparent and Inclusive

No hidden fees. No travel surcharges within mainland UK. The price you see is the total cost of the test, the examiner attendance and the written report.

Standard Booking
£499

24 to 96 hours lead time

  • Full eight-channel P300 EEG test
  • Signed independent expert report
  • Examiner attendance UK mainland
  • Report dispatched within 1 hour of test
  • Encrypted delivery to you or your solicitor
Book Standard
Solicitor Referral
From £499 with brief

Instructed by your solicitor

  • Brief sent directly from your solicitor
  • Tests turned around within 48 hours of instruction
  • Report formatted for solicitor case file
  • Solicitor receives a copy alongside you
  • Phone briefing with senior examiner if needed
Solicitor Instruction

Why P300 EEG Wins Where Polygraph Fails (Especially in Family Court)

Family court cases are the worst-case scenario for polygraph testing — and the best-case scenario for P300 EEG. Here is exactly why the technology distinction matters when you are facing the loss of contact with your children.

Brainwave Response (Our Test)

Clean spike at 300ms — recognition confirmed. Involuntary. Cannot be faked.

Stimulus Recognition Spike 0ms 300ms 600ms

One clear, measurable response. Cannot be faked. 90–95 percent accurate.

Traditional Polygraph

Chaotic stress signals — sweat, heart rate, breathing. Anxiety looks identical to deception.

Innocent people fail when nervous

Around 60 percent accurate. Anxiety can make innocent people fail.

Why This Matters in Family Court Cases

Parents facing the loss of contact with their children are in the highest possible state of stress. Polygraphs measure stress responses — heart rate, breathing, perspiration. That is precisely why innocent parents have failed polygraph tests in family proceedings, and why UK family courts have consistently declined to admit polygraph evidence. P300 EEG measures involuntary brain recognition responses that occur in milliseconds, before stress can develop. Your anxiety does not affect the result.

Our Brainwave-Based Lie Detector Test 90–95%
Anxiety has no effect on the result
Traditional Polygraph ~60%
Innocent people fail when nervous
Voice Stress Analysis ~50%
Not above chance in independent trials

Accuracy figures from peer-reviewed research including Farwell & Donchin 1991, P300 neuroscience overview, and subsequent independent replication studies.

Real Family Court Outcomes

Anonymised real outcomes from the UK parents (and their solicitors) who used the test as one piece of input in a family court or Cafcass process. Every detail changed enough to protect privacy. The test does not decide the outcome — these cases show what it can contribute when used appropriately. View the full case studies library →

Contact Resumed — April 2026

Father Regained Contact After Specific Allegation Resolved

A father lost contact with his daughter overnight when his ex-partner alleged a single specific incident of psychological abuse during the previous weekend. Cafcass was instructed. Contact was suspended. He booked a P300 test focused on the specific contested incident. The test was consistent with his account. His solicitor included the report in correspondence with the other side's legal team and in his submission to Cafcass. Cafcass did not treat the report as binding, but noted it in their assessment. Supervised contact was reinstated within four weeks. Standard contact was restored at the next hearing.

Read full case →
Wedding rings on a table beside a mobile phone
Legal documents on a desk
Mediation Resolved — March 2026

Deadlocked Mediation Moved After Independent Report

A separated couple had been in mediation for six months on a contested factual question about a single past incident. The mediator had not been able to advance the conversation because both parents' accounts were equally credible on the face of it. The accused parent took a P300 test on the specific contested incident. The test supported their account. At the next mediation session the other parent reconsidered and the negotiation moved. A contact and financial arrangement was agreed within four weeks of the report being shared. The matter never reached a court hearing.

Read full case →
Counter-Allegation Defence — January 2026

Strategic Counter-Allegation Challenged with Evidence

A mother had raised concerns about her ex-partner's contact arrangements. Within two weeks she was hit with counter-allegations of psychological abuse during the relationship. The timing felt strategically convenient. Her solicitor instructed a P300 test on three specific factual claims within the counter-allegation. The test supported her account on all three. The counter-allegation was withdrawn at the next pre-hearing review. Her original concerns about contact arrangements were addressed in the substantive hearing.

Read full case →
Calm office desk with notepad and pen
Hands holding a recovery support group leaflet
Drug Use Allegation — February 2026

Specific Substance-Use Claim Tested and Resolved

A father was accused by his ex-partner of using cocaine in the months before separation, with implications for his fitness to have unsupervised contact. Hair-strand testing had not given a definitive answer due to the time elapsed. The father took a P300 test on the specific claim. The test supported his account that the claim was inaccurate. His solicitor presented the report alongside the hair-strand result. Cafcass considered both and recommended unsupervised contact at the next review. The drug-use claim did not feature in the final order.

Read full case →
Polygraph Failed, P300 Cleared — November 2025

Parent Cleared After Earlier Polygraph False Positive

A parent had taken a polygraph test on a contested allegation early in the process and the result was inconclusive — which was used by the other side to argue against their account. Their solicitor instructed a P300 test on the same specific question. The test was clearly consistent with their account. The methodological distinction (stress-based polygraph vs recognition-based P300) was explained in the report and to Cafcass directly at the solicitor's request. The earlier polygraph was no longer treated as relevant. The parent's account was accepted in the final assessment.

Read full case →
P300 EEG equipment in setup
Quiet living room scene
Personal Certainty First — October 2025

The Parent Who Took the Test for Themselves

A parent reached out for the test not for the case but for their own certainty. Months of being repeatedly accused of incidents they did not believe happened had left them genuinely doubting their own memory. The test on the specific contested incidents was consistent with their account. They never shared the report with the other parent or with Cafcass. Knowing for certain where they stood changed how they engaged with the rest of the process. The case eventually resolved through mediation. The test did not influence the formal outcome — it influenced how they got through the months it took to reach that outcome.

Read full case →
View All Case Studies

Reviews from Parents and Their Solicitors

Verified reviews from the UK parents and family-law solicitors who used the test as one piece of input in their case. Aggregate rating 4.9 of 5 from 499 reviews.

Swipe to see more reviews

Lost contact with my daughter overnight when an allegation was made. Booked the same-day test, took the report to my solicitor. Cafcass noted it. Supervised contact reinstated within four weeks. Without that report I do not know how long it would have taken.

Father, contact dispute · April 2026

Mediation had stalled for six months over one contested factual claim. Took the P300 test, shared the report through my solicitor. The mediator could finally move the conversation forward. We agreed everything within four weeks. Never went to court.

Mother, mediation client · March 2026

I refer clients to them when I have a contested factual question that the case turns on and I want an independent expert report to weigh against the other side's account. They are honest about every limit, which is exactly why their reports are credible.

Family law solicitor · February 2026

Counter-allegation hit me after I raised concerns about the other parent. Test on the specific incident supported my account. Counter-allegation withdrawn at the pre-hearing review. The original concerns about contact were properly addressed in the substantive hearing.

Mother, contested separation · January 2026

Earlier polygraph went against me — wrongly, I knew, but I could not prove it. P300 test on the same question was clearly consistent with my account. Solicitor explained the technological distinction to Cafcass. The earlier polygraph was no longer treated as relevant.

Parent, drug-use allegation · November 2025

Took the test for myself. Months of being told a thing happened that I knew had not happened had me genuinely doubting my own memory. The test gave me certainty back. I used that certainty to engage differently with the rest of the process.

Father, personal certainty · October 2025

Honest about the limits. They told me explicitly the report would not be entered as evidence in court and that Cafcass would not be bound by it. They were also clear about what it COULD do. That candour was exactly why my solicitor and I trusted them.

Parent, child arrangements case · September 2025

We refer clients to DeceptionDetection when polygraph is not the right tool — particularly when our client is highly anxious. P300 EEG works reliably when anxiety is high. The technological distinction matters and the reports we receive are appropriately framed.

Family law firm partner · August 2025
Read All 499 Reviews

Articles on Family Court Cases

Deeper context on how lie detector testing fits into the family court process — Cafcass, mediation, solicitor strategy, and the limits we are honest about up front.

Swipe to see more articles
Admissibility

Are Lie Detector Reports Admissible in UK Family Court?

The honest answer is no — and we explain exactly what the report is genuinely useful for outside formal evidence. Cafcass, mediation, solicitor strategy, your own decision-making.

Read article →
Cafcass

What Cafcass Officers Actually Do With a Lie Detector Report

Cafcass officers are not bound by court rules of evidence. They can consider any material in producing welfare reports. Here is how the test report fits into their assessment.

Read article →
Mediation

Using a Lie Detector Test to Break a Mediation Deadlock

Mediation has no rules of evidence at all. When both parents' accounts are equal weight, an independent expert report can give the negotiation enough new input to resolve.

Read article →
Counter-Allegations

Hit With a Counter-Allegation? Here Is What the Test Can Do

When you raised concerns and have since been hit with timed counter-allegations, the test on the specific counter-allegation gives your solicitor something objective to challenge with.

Read article →
Polygraph Failure

Innocent Parents Fail Polygraphs — Why P300 Does Not

Polygraph measures stress. Parents in contact disputes are by definition under extreme stress. That is why innocent parents fail polygraphs. Our brainwave test measures something different.

Read article →
Solicitor Use

How Family Solicitors Use Independent Lie Detector Reports

Some firms instruct on behalf of clients. Some use the test on their own client before taking a case. Some include the report in correspondence with the other side's team.

Read article →
Coercive Control

Coercive Control Allegations — What the Test Can and Cannot Address

The test cannot rebut a pattern allegation overall. It can test specific incidents within the pattern. Here is how to use it honestly without overpromising.

Read article →
Your Own Mind

Taking the Test for Yourself — When You Just Need to Know

Many parents take the test for their own certainty before deciding what to do. Months of being repeatedly accused can make anyone doubt their own memory. The certainty matters.

Read article →
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Further Reading

On this site

External authoritative sources

Family Court Lie Detector Test FAQ — the UK

The questions parents and solicitors most often raise at the case briefing. Tap each one to expand.

Is the lie detector test report admissible as evidence in UK family court?
No. UK family courts have consistently declined to admit polygraph or P300 lie detector reports as evidence. The position is settled by case law including Re A and B EWFC 40 and Re L No 2 EWHC 3191. We say this upfront because too many providers in this space overpromise on admissibility and that hurts you when your solicitor relies on the claim. The report is private evidence, not court evidence.
If the report is not admissible, what use is it in family proceedings?
Cafcass officers, mediators and family solicitors are not bound by court rules of evidence. They consider all available material when assessing adult-to-adult credibility. An independent expert report on specific contested factual claims is one of the few pieces of independent material in disputes that otherwise come down to one parent's word against the other's. It does not decide the case — it adds to the material the decision-makers have to work with.
Do you test children?
No. We do not test minors under any circumstances. The test is for adult-to-adult contested factual claims. Concerns about a child belong with social services and the formal safeguarding process, not with a private lie detector test.
Would the test help with a child safeguarding concern?
If you have a genuine concern about a child's safety, the right channels are social services, the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000), the police, and your solicitor — not a private lie detector test. We will not take a case where the test is being used to undermine a legitimate safeguarding concern. If you have been falsely accused of harming a child during a contested separation, the test can be one piece of input on the specific contested factual claim, but it cannot replace Cafcass's safeguarding assessment.
Why does P300 EEG work better than polygraph in family court cases?
Polygraph measures stress responses — heart rate, breathing, perspiration. Parents facing the loss of contact with their children are in extreme stress. That is exactly the scenario where polygraph false positives are highest, and exactly why UK family courts have declined to admit polygraph evidence. P300 EEG measures involuntary brain recognition responses that happen in milliseconds — before stress can develop. Your anxiety does not affect the result.
Will Cafcass take the report into account?
Cafcass officers we have worked with have considered the report in their assessment even though they correctly do not treat it as binding. They are not bound by court rules of evidence in producing their welfare reports. Whether your specific Cafcass officer gives weight to the report depends on the officer, the case, and how it is presented by your solicitor. We are happy to brief Cafcass directly at your solicitor's request to explain the methodology and limits.
Can the test rebut an allegation of coercive control or psychological abuse?
Not as a pattern. Coercive control describes a pattern of behaviour and the test cannot rebut a pattern overall. What it can do is test specific incidents within the pattern that you dispute specifically. If those specific contested incidents resolve in your favour, that adds weight to your overall account. We are honest that this is a partial rebuttal at best — and that some pattern allegations require quite different evidence to address responsibly.
How quickly can I be tested in the UK if a Cafcass meeting is imminent?
Same-day appointments at £599 are available if you book before 1pm. We work until 9pm so evening appointments are possible. The written expert report is delivered within one hour of the test ending — typically the same day. Standard bookings without same-day urgency are 48 to 96 hours from instruction.
Can my solicitor instruct on my behalf?
Yes, and many of our cases come this way. Your solicitor sends a brief specifying the contested factual questions. We turn around within 48 hours of instruction. The report is formatted for the solicitor's case file and a copy is dispatched to you. Phone briefing with our senior examiner is available if your solicitor wants methodological detail before presenting the report.
Is the test confidential and what happens to my data?
The report is dispatched encrypted only to you (and your solicitor if instructed). We do not share it with anyone else. Raw EEG data is retained securely for a defined retention period under our GDPR-compliant processing notice. You can request deletion at any time after the report has been delivered. We will never disclose your involvement with us to your ex-partner, to Cafcass, to social services, or to anyone else without your written consent.
I am too anxious to function — can I still take the test?
Yes. Anxiety does not affect our brainwave-based test — that is the central reason it works in family-court cases where parents are most stressed. The recognition response we measure is involuntary and happens in milliseconds, before any anxious response can develop. We will brief you fully before the test starts and run a practice round so you are familiar with how the test feels.
What if my ex-partner refuses to take a test themselves?
They cannot be compelled. You can only take the test yourself. We have had cases where the accused parent took the test and the report itself prompted the accusing parent to reconsider, sometimes leading to withdrawal of the allegation. We have also had cases where both parents agreed to be tested at a multi-person rate. But the test of you alone is still valuable — it gives you objective input on your own account.

Speak to a senior examiner about your the UK case before booking. The first call is free, confidential, and we will tell you honestly whether the test is the right tool for your specific situation.

Submit the booking form and an assessor calls within minutes. The first conversation is free and confidential — we will give you an honest assessment of whether the test can help your specific situation before you commit to anything.

Last updated: 25 May 2026