Children disputes involving private law proceedings and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) have decreased, as shown by the data that was released by CAFCASS in December 2024.
CAFCASS have published data to show that in November 2024 they had 16,596 open private law children cases involving 25,394 children which is 1,673 (-9.2%) fewer children’s cases and 2,309 (-8.3%) fewer children when compared to November 2023.
It is unclear what has caused the slight reduction in cases. It might be that more parents have been able to resolve the arrangements for their children amicably between themselves, much to their credit, or it might be that more people are looking to non-dispute resolution options such as mediation as opposed to litigating matters through the courts.
Many parents are unclear about the role of CAFCASS. We answer some common questions below.
These are applications made under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 by individuals.