The Family Justice system in England and Wales.
The Family Justice system is facing growing criticism for failing children and families who depend on it. Private law cases (disputes between parents about the care of their children) are taking an average of 41 weeks to conclude.
This crisis worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when rising caseloads and limited resources exposed deep inefficiencies.
The Committee found that a key challenge is the fragmented structure of the family justice system with different organisations such as the courts and Cafcass each having their own timescales and problems.
In our experience at Children in the Middle, there are huge variations around the country in how long parents have to wait for their court proceedings to conclude. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, some courts have caught up on the backlog caused by the pandemic. However, in many areas there are now significant delays in Cafcass completing their reports.
Workforce shortages compound delays. London and the South East face some of the longest case durations — due to a shortage of District Judges and social workers. Efforts to recruit more judges and social workers have not yet closed this gap.
The government has announced £2 billion for children’s social care, and pilots such as the ‘Pathfinder’ programme show promise in reducing case times and improving outcomes, particularly for domestic abuse victims. However, this does not change the day to day reality for most parents currently in the court system.
If you need legal advice about your court case about your child, contact at Office@CiTMChambers.co.uk or 0117 214 1797.
📧 Email: office@citmchambers.co.uk
📞 Phone: 0117 214 1797
🌐 Website: childreninthemiddle.co.uk