News and communications

Vile abusers who rape a child will have their own parental responsibilities automatically removed under new laws.

• Updated: 10 May 2024

More than 27,000 separating families have saved money, protected their children and avoided lengthy, combative courtroom battles, thanks to a £23.6 million government scheme.

• Updated: 3 April 2024

Families will benefit from new early legal advice to spare them stress of court.

• Updated: 8 March 2024

Children will be better protected from the impact of lengthy courtroom battles thanks to pioneering measures to help families resolve disputes as swiftly as easily possible.

• Updated: 26 January 2024

Extra £6 million to support up to 2,000 more people in complex family cases.

• Updated: 1 May 2023

Government to fund mandatory mediation for separating couples.

• Updated: 23 March 2023

Thousands more separating parents will avoid stressful and expensive courtroom battles after a government mediation scheme was more than doubled in size.

• Updated: 2 June 2022

Landmark reforms introducing no-fault divorce aimed at reducing conflict between separating couples come into force today.

• Updated: 6 April 2022

Victims of domestic abuse will receive better support as part of a new approach being piloted in the family courts.

• Updated: 8 March 2022

The Family Public Law online service is now used by every designated family court in England and Wales.

• Updated: 4 March 2022

Thousands more separating parents will avoid stressful courtroom battles as the Government boosts its landmark family mediation scheme with an additional £1.3 million.

• Updated: 16 January 2022

Over 760 people attended this year's event on reforming court and tribunal services together. All the recorded sessions are now available for you to watch.

• Updated: 12 January 2022

Are you interested in observing the rule making process?

• Updated: 21 September 2021

Separating parents will be helped to avoid stressful court battles through a new million-pound mediation scheme launched by the government today (26 March 2021).

• Updated: 26 March 2021

Most online applications submitted by legal professionals are processed and returned to applicants within one week.

• Updated: 10 December 2020

Limited exceptions will ensure that complex applications can still be made using paper applications.

• Updated: 2 December 2020

Review will examine how courts balance child safety and right to family life.

• Updated: 9 November 2020

An independent evaluation of HMCTS video hearings service assessing the user experience of the video hearings process, has been published today.

• Updated: 29 July 2020

New laws to spare divorcing couples having to apportion blame for the breakdown of their marriage took a step closer this week.

• Updated: 26 June 2020

Survivors of domestic abuse and their children will receive greater protections after the government today (25 June 2020) announced an overhaul of how the family courts deal with the horrific crime.

• Updated: 24 June 2020