Families let down by chronic underfunding in the Family Court system

The Family Court system in the UK is currently experiencing fewer sitting days, specifically a significant reduction in the number of days allocated to financial remedies cases for late 2025 and 2026. This reduction, driven by resource constraints is causing substantial delays, increased costs and uncertainty for families. The reduction is leading to last-minute cancellations of scheduled hearings and double-listing of longer hearings, meaning a "back-up" case may be postponed with little notice (three working days), causing wasted preparation costs. Increased waiting times adding emotional and financial strain to families already in distress are also expected.

This situation is a symptom of chronic underfunding, a shortage of judges, and existing backlogs in the Family Court system. Given the high risk of delays, we are encouraging our clients to plan for uncertainty and explore alternatives to traditional litigation from the outset. Non-Court Dispute Resolution (NCDR) methods which we specialise in such as mediation, One Couple, One Lawyer and arbitration are strongly encouraged as alternative routes to settlement which offer faster resolution times, reduced stress and more control over the process.