A mother, Erin*, was separated from her children for almost six years after family courts relied on flawed evidence from unregulated psychologist Melanie Gill. The court had ordered removal of the children in December 2019, granting sole custody to the father. Gill's assessment called Erin an alienator, accusing her of turning the children against their father and ignored serious abuse claims. Erin saw her children for the first time last year. In a recent hearing, England’s top family judge Sir Andrew McFarlane set aside the original court findings based on Gill's evidence. This is the second time in six months that Gill's testimony has been dismissed by the high court. Erin said the experience felt like “a noose around her neck for six years,” and that the children lost half their identity. The case took a turn in November when Erin's teenage son Dylan* ran away from his father’s home and hired a solicitor. After time in foster care, Dylan was reunited with Erin for Christmas for the first time in six years. Dylan, now 15, attended the court hearing himself and shared his distrust of professionals and feelings of loneliness. Sir Andrew McFarlane ordered Dylan to live with his mother and is expected to issue a broader ruling on future family cases involving such disputes. He stated, “Melanie Gill considers this some kind of vendetta against her. This is far bigger than one person. It’s about the court properly engaging with allegations and cross-allegations.” Erin’s legal team cited new December 2024 guidance advising courts not to use experts to diagnose “parental alienation” and called for regulated psychologists. The government is working on banning unregulated experts in family courts. The father has denied all allegations and did not attend the hearing. The daughter, now 18, is not involved in this case. *Names changed for privacy.