On April 22nd 2014 the Family Justice Minister Simon Hughes introduced a new way of providing family court services to England and Wales.
Sir James Mumby has said the reforms amount to a revolution.
The main aim is to create a single family court. This replaces the current system three separate courts which the public have to struggle to negotiate especially if their case is deemed unsuitable for the particular court they find themselves in resulting in court transfers and often a lot of confusion.
The changes will also bring in compulsory attendance at a Mediation information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) before proceedings are issued (save in certain circumstances eg domestic violence)
In addition there will be a 26 week time limit to care proceedings.
The hope is that these changes will limit the delays within the court system for families and especially children.
References:
Ministry of Justice press release on the family justice reforms can be found here
FAQs on the Single Family Court can be found here