Written question asked by James Wild (Conservative) on Friday, 31 October 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 4 November 2025. It was answered by Alex Davies-Jones (Labour) on Monday, 10 November 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Children: Custody

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the handling of child custody cases through non-court processes.

Answer

The Ministry of Justice continues to develop its understanding of how non-court processes support families to resolve post-separation issues, such as child arrangements.

Evidence from the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme suggests that these approaches can help families reach agreement without needing to go to court. Analysis of the first 7,200 cases completed under the scheme shows that 69% of participants reached a whole or partial agreement and did not need to go to court to resolve their issues. Since its launch, the scheme has supported over 49,000 families, and the Government has committed to continue funding it until at least March 2026.

The Government believes that helping parents reach agreement outside of court, including through mediation, reduces conflict and benefits children’s wellbeing, and continues to assess these approaches.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 87077
Session: 2024-26
Related items: Family Conciliation Services: Voucher Schemes
Friday, 19 December 2025
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House of Commons; Family Conciliation Services: Norfolk
Friday, 19 December 2025
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House of Commons; Family Conciliation Services: Voucher Schemes
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Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects: Children Custody Dispute resolution
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Children: Custody

Secondary information

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