News Essentials: 30th September 2023

A brief summary of the essential family law news and cases from the last week: 

NEWS

Family Court Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2023
Quarterly data on the volume of cases dealt with by family courts over time, with statistics also broken down for the main types of case involved. Full story: Ministry of Justice.

Legal aid statistics: April to June 2023
Activity in the legal aid system for England and Wales, including criminal and civil legal aid, family mediation, providers of legal aid, client characteristics and Central Funds payments. Full story: Ministry of Justice.

Most children in kinship care living with at least one grandparent, figures show
Children being cared for by relatives other than their parents is most common in the north-east of England, while grandparents feature in the majority of such arrangements across the country, according to new statistics. Full story: Care Appointments.

Data breaches putting domestic abuse victims’ lives at risk, says UK watchdog
Councils, police and hospitals endangering women by accidentally revealing details such as addresses, says ICO. Full story: The Guardian.

Child Maintenance Service statistics: data to June 2023
Quarterly statistics on the Child Maintenance Service to June 2023. Full story: Department for Work and Pensions.

Cafcass starts prioritising London private law cases to ‘maintain safe workloads for social workers’
Decision to delay allocating 'less urgent' private law cases to family court advisers in capital follows 27% rise in applications over past 12 months. Full story: Community Care.

CASES

O v O [2023] EWFC 161 (29 September 2023)
Final hearing of W's financial remedies application, issues including valuation of assets, conduct, and H's earning capacity. Full report: National Archives.

HAT v LAT [2023] EWFC 162 (29 September 2023)
Financial remedies application by W, nearly 30 years after separation deed. Application by W for interim pps and a LSPO. Full report: Bailii.

KG v NB [2023] EWFC 160 (28 September 2023)
Application by H to vary periodical payments term in a 2019 consent order, primarily because of W's relationship with a cohabitee. Full report: National Archives.

BELUCH v. POLAND - 4065/21 (Article 8 - Right to respect for private and family life : First Section Committee) [2023] ECHR 725 (28 September 2023)
Application by father claiming breach of Art 8 rights for failure to enforce contact rights. Held, there had been a violation of Art 8. Full report: Bailii.

Unnamed Local Authority v S & Ors [2023] EWFC 155 (14 September 2023)
Final hearing of application for care and placement orders in relation to 5 year old girl. Full report: Bailii.

Xanthopoulos v Rakshina [2023] EWFC 158 (26 September 2023)
Application by husband for LSPO to enable him to appeal award made under MFPA 1984, which he considered too low. LSPO made in sum of £175,000. Full report: Bailii.