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Data tracker

How were hearings held during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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

How long do private law cases last?

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

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

Do people in private law proceedings return to court?

Proportion of applicants returning to the private family court between in England and Wales

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

Are children with disabilities overrepresented in public and private law?

Percentage of children with disabilities in 2022/23 in private and public law as compared to the general population

Are adults involved in private law cases more or less likely to experience physical and mental health problems prior to court?

Mental health-related GP contact or hospital admission among private law adults, in the year prior to court, compared to other similar adults

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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