East Midlands Courts implement new management system in children’s private law to ‘provide better outcomes’

It has been announced in the East Midlands Courts that a new case management system has been introduced regarding private children’s law proceedings.

Earlier this year a conference was held regarding the release of this new system, which will focus on ‘child welfare’ as a priority. Justice of the High Court Mrs Justice Lieven has  said that the purpose of this new system is to ‘provide a better outcome for the children who are involved in these cases’.

I will now be implemented into private law proceedings that children over the age of 12 should be spoken and listened to with their views where applicable.

The Courts will be planning to resolve private law cases as early as possible. Her Honour Judge Harris said ‘we will see more control by the Court in order to decrease conflict between parents’. The aim of this process is to identify which lawsuits would be better suited for alternative dispute resolution.

A new site is currently in the process of being made for parents to access resources, find support, and get further information t help enable parents to reach agreements without having to go to court.

Nelsons Law have said:

“All Court proceedings need to be set within a specific timeframe as they are often highly intense and stressful for all those involved; therefore, it is within the best interest of all parties to not allow the process to take any longer than it needs to.”

The Court’s aim is private law proceedings that don’t include a fact-finding hearing to be concluded within a time frame of 25 weeks. However, for cases that are fact-finding hearings, those should be finalised within an aim of 40 weeks.

The system proposed is to help empower parents and families to give them the support they need in order to make the best choices and or decisions for their children.

The system also demands that Cafcass Schedule 2 letters have better recommendations and stronger advice. Having this will help shorten the proceedings and will assist in making sure each parent understands what is being guided and again what is considered to be the greatest outcome for the children involved.