On 26 January 2024 the government published a response to its consultation on supporting the earlier resolution of family law disputes, which includes a package of measures to encourage out of court dispute resolution.

The consultation was originally launched in March 2023 and was focused on how to move family law disputes away from the courts and into processes such as mediation and other non-court dispute resolution.

Following the responses to the consultation the government has plans to:

• Develop an online tool for parents that brings together information to support them if a dispute arises.
• Review pages on the Government website and add more information about non-court dispute resolution.
• Update court forms to include information about the various non-court dispute resolution options.
• Ensure information is available offline for those without access to the internet.

The government will also continue with its Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.

For more information and the full outcome of the consultation visit Supporting earlier resolution of private family law arrangements - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)