Slowdown in family courts

Divorce cases are taking 10% longer to complete due to delays caused by the increase in litigants in person.

Figures gathered by law firm Hugh James show a divorce case lasted an average of 23.9 weeks in the first quarter of 2014—two weeks longer than the same quarter in the previous year.

Litigants in person have increased in numbers since the withdrawal of legal aid from family law cases in April 2013 by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment Act 2012 (LASPO).

Charlotte Leyshon, associate at Hugh James, says: “Judges, solicitors, and our clients are growing increasingly frustrated by the length of time cases are taking. More people are trying to represent themselves in court but they lack the experience and technical knowledge of lawyers...Judges are in a difficult position because they want to try and speed cases up but actually have to take more time with people representing themselves.”