News
All the news items published on Family Law Week this year are listed below. You can browse our news archive using the folders on the left.
- New domestic violence cases rose by 21 per cent last quarter
News (27/03/2020)
Total new family cases fell by 1 per cent in quarter - Family legal aid bill rises to £148 million for the last quarter
News (27/03/2020) - Coronavirus (COVID-19): Legal Aid Agency response
News (27/03/2020) - Outcomes for children looked after by local authorities in England
News (27/03/2020)
Statistics as at 31 March 2019 published - The number of children in need decreases slightly
News (27/03/2020)
399,500 children in need at 31 March 2019 - Children’s Commissioner requests safeguards to protect children’s rights during coronavirus crisis
News (27/03/2020) - Covid-19: Practice Guidance on Case Management and Mediation of International Child Abduction Proceedings
News (27/03/2020) - Coronavirus Crisis: Guidance on Compliance with Family Court Child Arrangement Orders
News (27/03/2020)
President’s Guidance - The Remote Access Family Court: COVID-19 (coronavirus)
News (27/03/2020)
Message from Mr Justice MacDonald - Updates for time limits for filing documents in the Supreme Court and JCPC
News (17/03/2020)
Lord Reed issues update - Durham Constabulary "not as effective at child protection as it could be"
News (17/03/2020)
Inspectorate discovers several problems in child protection services - Law Society cancels all face-to-face events
Articles (17/03/2020)
All events off until the end of July - Family Law Week minor disruption
News (16/03/2020)
Remote working due to Coronavirus - Coronavirus guidance for courts and tribunals
News (16/03/2020)
COVID-19 current court guidelines - Court of Appeal to live-stream family cases
News (16/03/2020)
Joint initiative by the judiciary and government to boost transparency in the justice system - LGA warns that private organisations in massive debt puts children's care at risk
News (02/03/2020)
Large numbers of children's homes potentially at risk - House of Commons Library publishes Child protection: Duties to report concerns Briefing Paper
News (02/03/2020)
Sets out current requirements regarding reporting known or suspected child abuse or neglect - Sally Cheshire appointed Interim Chair of CAFCASS board
News (01/03/2020)
Cheshire will be in office until 30 June 2020 - Domestic abuser jailed due to extended unduly lenient sentence scheme
News (01/03/2020)
24 month community order deemed too lenient - Mother awarded £400,000 in divorce for stepping back from her career
News (01/03/2020)
Solicitor awarded compensation for “relationship-generated disadvantage” - Met Police call for London schools to sign protection charter
News (24/02/2020)
Charter to protect pupils from FGM and other abuse. - Local Government Authority highlights children social care underfunding
News (24/02/2020)
Councils had to overspend by £3 billion over 5 years - House of Commons Library publishes summary of adult social care under Conservative government
News (24/02/2020)
Briefing paper provides a summary of the social care measures taken under the three Prime Ministers since the Conservative Government was first returned in 2015 - Child Abduction Accredited Solicitors List Updated
News (24/02/2020)
Official Solicitor updates accredited list - Joint call for Judge Tolson's continuing cases to be reviewed
News (23/02/2020)
130 lawyers and women's rights groups sign joint letter - Family Justice Young People’s Board Recruiting New Members
News (22/02/2020)
7-24 year olds sought to join 50 member board - New public law cases received by Cafcass rose 6 per cent in January
News (14/02/2020) - ‘Domestic Abuse Bill must guarantee anyone fleeing domestic abuse a safe home’
News (14/02/2020)
Crisis respond to domestic homicide figures for 2019 - New private law cases received by Cafcass in January 16 per cent higher than 2019
News (14/02/2020) - Increase recorded in both approved fostering households and children in foster care
News (14/02/2020)
Figures released for 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 - Family Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2020
News (13/02/2020) - Child Arrangements Orders: HoC Library briefings
News (13/02/2020) - Reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders
News (13/02/2020) - Ban on under-16s being placed in unregulated accommodation proposed
News (13/02/2020)
Minimum standards to be introduced for unregulated accommodation - Two arrested for suspected FGM offences
News (09/02/2020) - ‘The public overwhelmingly supports legal aid’: Law Society survey
News (07/02/2020) - 30,700 child maintenance arrangements set up after contacting Options in last reported quarter
News (06/02/2020) - Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill receives second reading
News (06/02/2020)
Committee stage begins on 3 March 2020 - Quarter of adults think it very or fairly easy to identify whether a ten-year-old is being abused or neglected
News (06/02/2020) - Sex abuse in families going under the radar, say inspectorates
News (06/02/2020)
Report into ‘the multi-agency response to child sexual abuse in the family environment’ published - The Transparency Review: The President of the Family Division’s Call for Evidence
News (05/02/2020) - Closure of regional divorce centres announced
News (02/02/2020) - Birmingham man jailed for trying to force niece into marriage
News (02/02/2020) - Child Support Agency caseload continues to reduce
News (31/01/2020)
CSA live cases fell from 261,100 in June 2019 to 176,400 in September 2019 - Domestic abuse referrals to CPS and prosecutions have fallen
News (31/01/2020)
Crown Prosecution Service publish quarterly bulletin - ‘Chasm’ exists between current levels of mental health services and what children need
News (30/01/2020)
Children’s Commissioner published third annual children’s mental health briefing - Law Society publishes parliamentary briefing on Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill
News (29/01/2020)
Second reading scheduled for 5 February 2020 - Wales votes to end the physical punishment of children
News (29/01/2020)
New law is expected to come into force in 2022 - Family judges hearing cases involving alleged serious sexual assault should receive training
News (26/01/2020) - Building successful domestic abuse prosecutions without the victim’s support
News (26/01/2020) - 80 per cent of children in care need special educational support
News (23/01/2020) - Online divorce service for legal professionals
News (23/01/2020) - Domestic abuse perpetrator strategy would cut violent crime and protect victims
News (21/01/2020)
Organisations, police commissioners and academics call on Government to invest in perpetrator strategy - Ombudsman reminds councils of their foster carer school transport duties
News (21/01/2020) - New care applications received by Cafcass fell 3 per cent in December
News (21/01/2020) - New private law cases received by Cafcass in December 7 per cent higher than a year ago
News (21/01/2020) - High Court endorses joint drafting of family court consent orders
News (20/01/2020) - New Queen’s Counsel announced
News (19/01/2020) - Professor Judith Masson made honorary Queen’s Counsel
News (19/01/2020) - Stalking Protection Orders come into force
News (19/01/2020) - Spouses and civil partners to inherit more from intestate estates
News (17/01/2020) - Number of children looked after in England is up 4 per cent to 78,150
News (17/01/2020)
Children ceasing to be looked after due to adoption has fallen by 7 per cent - Councils urged to prioritise adoption
News (17/01/2020)
DfE issues updated advice to local authorities - Revised version of Order No 3.2 – the Search Order – issued
News (17/01/2020) - Urgent action needed to ensure children and young people can access mental health services
News (17/01/2020)
Education Policy Institute publishes Annual Report on access to CAMHS - First female justice Lady Hale retires
News (13/01/2020)
First female justice retires, Lord Reed new Supreme Court president - British Somalis Claim Racial Profiling Over FGM
News (13/01/2020)
UK Somalis say FGM figures are inaccurate - London Mayor calls for action to secure the future of undocumented young Londoners
News (10/01/2020)
107,000 children living in London without secure immigration status - £1m invested to improve London’s doctors’ skills in helping domestic violence victims
News (10/01/2020)
Funding will expand the programme across 17 London boroughs - 72 per cent of Refuge service users have experienced tech abuse
News (10/01/2020) - Vacancy with the Family Justice Council: applications invited from junior barristers
News (10/01/2020) - Government confirms extra support for Troubled Families programme
News (10/01/2020) - Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill receives first reading
News (09/01/2020)