Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for family court cases.

This Government is committed to improving the performance of the Family Courts, and the Family Justice Board has agreed system-wide priorities and targets for reducing delay across England and Wales. The latest published data shows a reduction in the national average case duration for both public and private law cases.

In London, which has particular challenges around Family Court delays, a dedicated Family Justice Strategy has been implemented, bringing together key partners and the judiciary. This work has included targeted investment over 2025/26 to tackle the outstanding private law caseload by providing additional court capacity and a focus on ensuring that courts follow the Public Law Outline, with clear arrangements for overseeing performance. These measures have already delivered a reduction in delays.

Child Focused Courts for private law now operate in 10 of 43 family court areas and seek to enhance the experience of children and families. They have additionally demonstrated significant impact on timeliness. Cases are concluding between 11-30 weeks quicker on average under the model and outstanding caseloads have been reduced by up to 50%. The Government announced on 17 March its intention to roll this model out nationally by the end of this Parliament.