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Data tracker

Has the number of children involved in public care and private law cases changed over the past 10 years?

Number of children involved in public care and private law cases received by Cafcass England between 2014/15 and 2022/23

How were hearings held during the COVID-19 pandemic?

From July 2020, the majority of hearings were held via video

How long do public law cases last?

Average disposal duration in weeks for public law cases in England and Wales

How long do private law cases last?

Average disposal duration in weeks for private law cases in England and Wales

What are the outcomes of Family Drug and Alcohol Courts (2022/23)?

Do people in private law proceedings have legal representation?

Percentage of private law cases disposed by representation status in England and Wales

What proportion of private law cases have evidence of child participation?

Evidence of child participation within 3 years of case start date for cases starting 2019/20 in England

What is the age distribution of children involved in public law applications?

Age distribution of public law applications in England and Wales between 2011 and 2023

What is the age distribution of children involved in private law applications?

Age distribution of private law applications in England and Wales between 2011 and 2023

What is the gender distribution of children involved in public and private law cases?

Gender distribution in public and private cases in England and Wales in 2016

Are certain minoritised ethnic groups over- or under-represented in private and public law cases?

Ethnicity of adults and children in public and private law cases between 2017/18 and 2019/20 compared to the general population (2019 ONS estimates)

How common are private law applications in different parts of England and Wales?

Rate of private family law applications per 10,000 families with dependent children in England and Wales in 2019/20

Infographic

What do we know about children in the family justice system?

Our regularly updated infographic highlights what we know, and what we don’t know, about children’s journeys through the family justice system based on national administrative data.

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