Family courts face 'imminent crisis' over huge rise in care applications

From The Guardian:

The family court service in England and Wales is facing a “clear and imminent crisis” because of a sustained increase in the number of child care cases, its most senior judge has said.

In an emergency statement issued through the judicial office, Sir James Munby, the president of the family division, said he could not simply ask lawyers or court staff to work harder. “The fact is that we are approaching a crisis for which we are ill-prepared and where there is no clear strategy to manage the crisis. What is to be done?” he asked.

The number of care cases being dealt with by the family courts in England and Wales has risen from an average of about 6,500 a year before 2009 to about 15,000 this year.

“If… the current rate of increase of [around] 20% were to continue for the next three years, by 2019-20 the figure would have climbed to over 25,000,” Munby said. “In the meantime – today – we face a clear and imminent crisis. What steps can be taken now?”

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