The latest figures for care applications and private law demand, for March 2019, have been published by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (‘Cafcass’), the organisation that looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings. In that month the service received 1,117 new care applications. This is 9.9 per cent […]
Defamation, a pre-nuptial agreement and divorce reform: The last week in family law
The Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who posted on Facebook that her former husband had tried to strangle her had not libelled him. The former husband issued proceedings against the woman, claiming that the statement was defamatory, as it suggested he tried to kill her. Initially he won his case in the High […]
All about statistics: The last week in family law
The Office for National Statistics has published figures for the number of marriages that took place in England and Wales in 2106. Amongst the main points were that: there were 249,793 marriages in England and Wales, 1.7% more than in 2015, but 1.0% fewer than in 2014; that 97.2% of all marriages were between opposite-sex […]
Troubled families, co-parenting, stalking and a divorce error: The last week in family law
An evaluation of the Government’s Troubled Families Programme has shown that it has reduced the number of children in care. Troubled Families is a programme of targeted intervention for families with multiple problems, including crime, anti-social behaviour, truancy, unemployment, mental health problems and domestic abuse. Local authorities identify ‘troubled families’ in their area and usually […]
Male victims of abuse, court modernisation and controlling behaviour: The last week in family law
The Home Office has announced that up to £1 million will be given to organisations that support men and boys who are victims of gender-based violence. The announcement is part of a series of measures set out in a ‘position statement’ on male victims of crimes. The statement sets out twelve commitments to assist victims […]
Coercive control, domestic abuse, and more: The last week in family law
A sick 13-month-old girl who was born with kidney failure should receive medical treatment against the wishes of her parents, the High Court has ruled. Specialists at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, where the girl is being treated, said that her one chance for “ongoing survival” was hemodialysis, a process of purifying the blood of […]
A Brexit warning, children in care and McKenzie Friends: The last week in family law
The four children’s commissioners for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have warned that children’s safety could be put at risk if the UK leaves the EU without proper plans for child protection. In a letter to Stephen Barclay MP, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, the commissioners sought assurances on some […]
Children, FDACs and court delays: The last week in family law
A young girl whose parents cannot care for her should be brought up by a stranger rather than by her grandparents, a court has ruled. In the case C (A child : care and a placement order), District Judge Graham Keating decided that the girl, who was born in 2017, would be better placed in […]
Divorce reform, a legal aid review and Cafcass figures: The last week in family law
It has been reported that the Justice Secretary, David Gauke, has confirmed that he will introduce legislation enacting the no-fault divorce in the next session of Parliament. Nigel Shepherd, former chairman of the family law organisation Resolution, which has long campaigned for the introduction of no-fault divorce, said he was pleased that the government are […]
A failed claim, single parents, Twitter appeal: The last week in family law
Husband who was seeking a lump sum payment or other capital provision from his ex-wife has failed in his claim. A new study has found that children’s wellbeing is not negatively affected by living in single parent households. A High Court judge has used Twitter to urge a mother who vanished with her three-year-old son to return home. And finally, The Independent has reported that the number of parents forced to represent themselves in child disputes in family courts has more than doubled in six years, as a result of the legal aid cuts in 2013.
