Family Law News

Plans to strengthen the law so children continue to see both parents if they separate have been put forward by ministers.

In its submission to the Government consultation on same-sex marriage, which closes on 14th June, the Church of England states it cannot support the proposal to enable "all couples, regardless of their gender, to have a civil marriage ceremony".

A recent survey conducted in America has found that couples average three arguments a month about financial issues, and that three in ten adults who are married or living with a partner admit to potentially deceitful behaviour about money.

Statistics showing the changing shape of society over sixty years have been released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Family Rights Group has responded to new research released by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), which claims that local authorities are acting more quickly to process care applications.

A new dedicated team of experts from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) centre will strengthen and lead the UK's ability to respond to missing children, the Home Office has announced.

Professor Eileen Munro, author of the Government’s review of the child protection system, has said that a “culture change” is underway in the child protection system but outlined an urgent need to now accelerate reforms to create a more child-centred system.

Children's charity, 4Children, has responded to the Government's equal marriage consultation, supporting the step forward for equality, and asking the government to go further where there is a clear case for doing so.

The latest statistics released by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) have revealed that care application demand continues to remain at a very high level.

New legislation announced in the Queen's Speech aims to improve family justice by reducing delays in the system and speeding up adoption processes.

A child comes into care and needs a foster family every 22 minutes across the UK, new figures from the Fostering Network have revealed.

Recent figures released in America have given an insight into the profile of fathers in America.

The Government has pledged more intensive action against irresponsible parents who have failed to support their children after separation.

Recent research carried out on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood has looked at the impact on fathers of divorce or separation from their partners.

The charity, Action for Children, has recently published a report claiming that the current law on child neglect is failing to protect children and must be updated as a matter of urgency.

New research from Oxford University has challenged concerns about duplication and delay through the use of independent social work (ISW) assessments in Family Court proceedings. On the contrary, the report argues that delays might be reduced by the earlier appointment of ISW experts.

New figures released by the Ministry of Justice show that 13% of all children under 18 who currently receive help with legal costs will lose out under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, due to return to the House of Commons on Tuesday 17th April after suffering a number of defeats in the House of Lords.

Help for migrants forced to flee their relationships as a result of domestic violence has been made available permanently.

A report published by Ofsted found that the most significant cause of delay for children needing adoption is the length of time it takes for cases to be completed in court. The average time taken to complete care proceedings in the cases inspectors examined was almost 14 months.

Coram Children’s Legal Centre (CCLC) has announced an increase in the number of calls to its Child Law Advice Line on the subject of 'contact with children.'