Three important reports were published in the Family Justice system in 2020:
Private Law Working Group Report – March 2020
Ministry of Justice Risk of Harm Panel Report – June 2020
Family Solutions Group report – November 2020
Family Solutions Group Response to the MOJ Consultation: Supporting Earlier Resolution of Private Family Law Arrangements
MADA (Mediation and Domestic Abuse Network) report 2022: Continuing the Conversation
Language Matters Resources
The Family Solutions Group’s report was launched at a webinar in November 2020.
Supporting Families in Conflict: there is a better way. The President of the Family Division gave a speech to the Jersey International Family Law Conference in October 2021.
Several articles have been published in Family Law by members of or contributors to the Family Solutions Group:
- Language Matters: Time to reframe our national understanding of family breakdown.
https://www.familylaw.co.uk/news_and_comment/language-matters-time-to-reframe-our-national-vocabulary-for-family-breakdown - The Family Solutions Initiative
https://www.familylaw.co.uk/news_and_comment/the-family-solutions-initiative-a-response-to-a-system-in-crisis
The Rights Idea? was developed by members of the Family Solutions group to inform young people of their rights when parents separate
The Parents Promise was launched in 2020.
The Family Law Language Project was established in November to promote accurate and child-focused language in all aspects of family law
Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has published several papers over the last year, four of which are particularly relevant to the work of the Family Solutions Group:
- Separated parents in Welsh family courts are more likely to live in deprived areas
https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/news/separated-parents-wales-deprived-areas
(based on its report, ‘Uncovering Private Law: Who’s coming to court in Wales?’)
- Separated parents using family courts in England are more likely to live in deprived areas https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/news/separated-parents-family-courts-england-deprived-areas
(based on their report, ‘Uncovering Private Law: Who’s coming to court in England?’) - Children’s experience of Private Law Proceedings: Six key messages from research https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/resource/childrens-experience-of-private-law-proceedings-six-key-messages-from-research
- Uncovering Private Law: Adult characteristics and Vulnerabilities (Wales)
https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/resource/uncovering-private-family-law-adult-characteristics-and-vulnerabilities-wales
The Family Justice Young People’s Board is convened by Cafcass. It provides resources to support young people whose families are in the family justice system, and to inform stakeholders in the family justice system of their needs and wishes.
The FJYPB have just published a book ‘In Our Shoes’ capturing the experiences of young people in their journeys through the family courts:
A summary of evidence by Prof Gordon Harold about the impact of parental conflict on children:
A Family Solutions Group hosted panel discussion, sponsored by Kingsley Napley and Family Law in Partnership, held on 23rd March 2022.
Family Justice Council Bridget Lindley Memorial Lecture and the annual Conference:
Key Messages for Parents who separate – An information sheet
