Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they are giving to courts to signpost separating couples to early advice in Family Hubs, including support to stay together where appropriate, before separating couples can initiate court proceedings.

The Government recognises that early access to information for separating families is essential. This is why the family procedure rule committee has put in place Pre-Application Protocols to signpost separating couples to support which may help them resolve their dispute without court intervention. These protocols also outline the steps that couples are expected to take to try to resolve their dispute before making a court application.

If families do proceed to court, The President of the Family Division now sends a letter out to both the applicant and the respondent, pointing them towards a range of resources which may help them reach agreement away from court, where safe and appropriate, including the Government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme, which offers £500 towards the cost of mediation.

Further Family Procedure Rule changes, which came into force in April 2024, encourage more people to attend Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) before court. The MIAM is a meeting with a mediator to discuss whether mediation or another form of non-court dispute resolution may be preferable to proceeding to court.

The Government is also working to improve the information available, both online through GOV.UK, and offline via sources such as family hubs, to help inform separating families of their options before applying to court.

Taken together, these measures help ensure that separating families are getting the information and support they need as early as possible.