Who’s coming to court? What the census tells us about separating families  

Improving our understanding of the characteristics and experiences of the children and families coming to court in private law cases is central to ensuring that support – both before and during court proceedings – is designed to meet their needs.  

Our research on private law cases has begun to paint a picture of families who are disproportionately affected by deprivation and health vulnerabilities, and shows potentially significant overlaps in circumstances with families in public law cases. 

At this Nuffield Family Justice Observatory webinar, we will be presenting findings from a new analysis that linked census and Cafcass data on the separating families coming into the family justice system for the first time. The analysis gives a more detailed picture of their lives, from their ethnicity and health to their caring responsibilities and housing situations. 

A presentation of the new data will be followed by a panel discussion exploring how well the data reflects professionals’ experiences of private law cases and what the findings mean for how the family courts respond to the needs of separating families and their children.