Welcome to another week.

The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunals Service have released a joint statement outlining their intention to go ahead with what they’re calling “an ambitious programme of reform” to modernise the justice system. And that includes the Family Courts.

Setting aside the standard rhetoric inside the accompanying vision statement, the aim is to make the system just, proportional and accessible. The section focusing on the Family Courts can be found at page 13, and explains that the main focus for these courts should be to make the law simple and straightforward, whilst placing the welfare of the child first.

It’s no coincidence that the family justice system has decided to review the way it functions just as it finds itself on its knees, struggling to cope with an ever-growing number of cases and an ever shrinking budget to handle them. Whole scale reform was something we predicted would happen eight years ago, and it offers an amazing opportunity to finally develop the system in a way which is both humane and effective.

Our question then, is just this: whether you are a parent, child or family professional, what reforms would you like to see, and why?