The entire board of the Child and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (set up in 2002 to protect the rights of children during court proceedings) was replaced following a report on its operation.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Answers 11 December 2003, columns 605-606W, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard
Date: 2003-Dec
A report from an official advisory group made recommendations designed to promote 'safe and beneficial contact' between children and their non-resident parent, and considered proposals for the enforcement of contact orders.
Source: Facilitation and Enforcement Group, Final Report, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. It said that it planned to accept and act on many of the committee s recommendations and to take forward work on its other main findings.
Source: The Response of the Government and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service to the Constitutional Affairs Select Committee s Report on the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), Cm 6004, Department for Constitutional Affairs, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response (pdf) | MPs report | Care and Health report
Date: 2003-Oct
A new book described the role of children in the process of divorce, and how professionals could help them to understand and adjust to their changing circumstances. It addressed the weaknesses of current legislation in family justice, and suggested ways of improving professionals' skills and knowledge.
Source: Ian Butler, Lesley Scanlan, Margaret Robinson, Gillian Douglas and Mervyn Murch, Divorcing Children: Children's experience of their parents' divorce, Jessica Kingsley Publishers (020 7833 2307)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Oct
A senior High Court judge called for the introduction of an 'early interventions pilot project' (based on a scheme in Florida), aimed at reducing the number of child custody disputes dealt with by the courts. Parents asking the courts to settle disputes over child contact would first be required to agree a parenting plan, and those who failed to work with the process would risk losing parenting time.
Source: The Guardian, 22 October 2003
Links: Guardian report | Fathers Direct press release
Date: 2003-Oct
Researchers examined the nature of disputes (following family breakdown) over residence of children, and contact with them, that were brought to three County Courts in England in 2000. The study explored how the courts processed these cases, focusing especially on cases that were resolved speedily and on protracted cases.
Source: Carol Smart, Vanessa May, Amanda Wade and Clare Furniss, Residence and Contact Disputes in Court: Volume 1, Research report 6/03, Department for Constitutional Affairs (020 7210 8500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Sep
A new book examined how family relationships were sustained after divorce, adoption or when children were taken into care. It discussed the regulation of family relationships, in particular the issue of openness and contact. It considered what was meant by contact, what the value and purpose of it was, and the role of law and other forms of external intervention in promoting, regulating or facilitating it.
Source: Andrew Bainham, Bridget Lindley, Martin Richards and Liz Trinder (eds.), Children and Their Families: Contact, rights and welfare, Hart Publishing (01865 245533)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Sep
There were 147,735 divorces in England and Wales in 2002, a rise of 2.7 per cent on the 2001 figure of 143,818. This was the highest number of divorces since 1996. The divorce rate (provisional) also increased to its highest level since 1996, to 13.3 divorcing people per 1,000 married population from 13.0 in 2001.
Source: 'Divorces in England and Wales during 2002', Population Trends 113, Autumn 2003, Office for National Statistics, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Article (pdf) | ONS press release (pdf) | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Sep
A paper developed a model of child custody in cases of family breakdown, based on concepts of contract and property rights.
Source: Marco Francesconi and Abhinay Muthoo, An Economic Model of Child Custody, Working Paper 2003-22, Institute for Social and Economic Research/University of Essex (01206 873087)
Links: Working paper (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A report illustrated regional patterns in homelessness, and highlighted gaps in official data collection and analysis. It also made recommendations to improve the usefulness of the statistics. It said that family breakdown (with domestic violence as the chief cause) was responsible for almost 1 in 4 of cases of people becoming homeless.
Source: More than a Number: Report on the analysis of ODPM homelessness statistics - Financial year 2001/2002, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Summary | Observer report
Date: 2003-Aug
There were 147,735 divorces in England and Wales in 2002, compared with 143,818 in 2001 (an increase of 2.7 per cent), according to first summary statistics.
Source: Press release 28.7.03, Office for National Statistics (0845 601 3034)
Links: ONS press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A committee of MPs found 'serious failings' in the establishment and management of the new Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (formed in April 2001).
Source: Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS), Third Report (Session 2002-03), HC 614-I, House of Commons Select Committee on the Lord Chancellor's Department, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | CAFCASS press release (pdf) | Solicitors Family Law Association press release | Law Society press release | Community Care article
Date: 2003-Jul
A Law Society report said that divorce courts were a lottery, with cases decided according to whether they were heard by 'wife-friendly' or 'husband-friendly' judges.
Source: Financial Provision Following Divorce: Clarity and fairness - proposals for reform, Law Society (020 7242 1222)
Links: Report (pdf) | Law Society press release
Date: 2003-Jul
A report described a project comparing the impact of individual and group-based support programmes in seven primary schools for children experiencing the divorce or separation of their parents.
Source: Anji Wilson and Janet Edwards with Susie Allen and Carol Dasgupta, Schools and Family Change: Schoolbased support for children experiencing divorce and separation, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 433
Date: 2003-Apr
A report presented findings from an extensive study of missing persons. It provided new information on the motivations and circumstances of both missing adults and children, drawing directly on the views and experiences of missing adults themselves.
Source: Nina Biehal, Fiona Mitchell and Jim Wade, Lost from View: Missing persons in the UK, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary | Press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A study reviewed the variety of ways in which services respond to the needs and wishes of children whose parents are divorcing or separating. It identified a 'considerable volume' of potentially useful programmes, but found that very few have been effectively evaluated.
Source: Joanna Hawthorne, Julie Jessop, Jan Pryor and Martin Richards, Supporting Children through Family Change: Review of interventions and services for children of divorcing and separating parents, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: JRF Findings 323
Date: 2003-Mar
A study reportedly found that over half the law firms which have a family law contract with the Legal Services Commission are reducing the amount of legal aid work they do. Family lawyers warned that people needing legal advice about divorce and relationship breakdown or disputes about children will find it increasingly difficult to get legally aided advice locally.
Source: Study by Gwynn Davis of Bristol University, reported in press release 4.2.03, Solicitors Family Law Association (01689 850227)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
Family lawyers called for more support for separating parents to help them make contact arrangements for their children outside the court system.
Source: Press release 17.2.03, Solicitors Family Law Association (01689 850227)
Links: Press release
Date: 2003-Feb