The Government has published draft legislation to implement its proposed changes to the family justice system following David Norgrove’s Family Justice Review.
The draft legislation aims to reduce delay and duplication in public law cases and impose a maximum 26 week limit for the completion of care and supervision proceedings, unless an extension is required.
In private family law cases, the person proposing to make a court application would be required to attend a family mediation information and assessment meeting before going to court, unless an exemption applied. Contact and residence orders would be replaced with new child arrangement orders.
In addition, the draft legislation would repeal provisions requiring the court in divorce proceedings to consider arrangements made for children of the family. It would also repeal in the unimplemented divorce provisions of Part II of the Family Law Act 1996, which would assist with plans to allow uncontested divorces to be dealt with administratively.
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