The latest Cafcass figures show a sharp rise in demand across the family justice system in England. In March 2026, Cafcass received 5,691 new children’s cases involving 8,710 children, the highest monthly level of overall children’s case demand since March 2021.
Across the full 2025–26 financial year, Cafcass received 59,147 new children’s cases involving 91,061 children. That was a 7.2% increase on the previous financial year. Private law children’s cases rose by 8.2%, reaching 42,172 new cases involving 63,879 children. Open private law cases also rose by 9.2% by the end of March 2026.
The wider family justice picture points in the same direction. The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory has described 2025 as the steepest year-on-year rise in private law applications in the last 10 years, while also cautioning that demand has fluctuated over time and that the rise should not be reduced to one simple cause.
For families caught up in children proceedings, the consequences are real. More cases mean more pressure on professionals, more strain on court resources, and more uncertainty for parents and children. If you are in the middle of a family dispute right now, understanding your options, including routes that do not involve a full contested court process, has never been more important.
What Is Driving The Increase?
There is unlikely to be one single reason for the increase in private law children’s cases. The pressures appear to be social, economic and practical.
Cost-of-living pressure can increase tension within separated families. Reduced access to early support services can mean disputes are not resolved before they reach court. Some parents may also be seeking formal court involvement earlier, either because they do not know what other options exist or because they have lost trust in informal arrangements.
Private law cases usually involve disputes between parents or family members about where a child should live, who they should spend time with, and how contact should be arranged. These cases are different from public law proceedings, where a local authority is involved because of safeguarding concerns.
Many private law cases start with a breakdown in communication. Contact may have stopped. Handover may have become tense. One parent may feel excluded from decision-making. Another may feel unsafe or unsupported. In some cases, there are allegations of domestic abuse, coercive control, substance misuse or emotional harm, which means the right process and safeguarding checks are essential.
The article on what are court ordered child contact services and how do they operate gives useful context on how families end up in proceedings and what the court process can involve.
What Is Independent Dispute Resolution?
Independent dispute resolution covers a range of approaches that sit outside, or alongside, formal court proceedings. The aim is to help families find workable arrangements for children without automatically moving towards a contested hearing.
Mediation is one common option. A trained mediator helps parents talk through the issues and explore possible agreements. In England and Wales, most people must attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting before making a private law children application, unless an exemption applies. A MIAM is not the same as being forced to mediate. It is an assessment meeting to see whether mediation or another non-court option could be suitable.
Collaborative law can also help. This involves both parents and their solicitors working through issues in structured meetings, with the shared aim of reaching agreement without going to court.
Independent Social Worker involvement is another important option. A qualified Independent Social Worker can carry out assessments, speak with family members where appropriate, consider safeguarding issues, and provide an independent professional view. In some cases, this can help parents make decisions before proceedings are issued. In other cases, an ISW report may be used within proceedings where properly instructed and accepted by the court.
Private child contact arrangements can also play a practical role. A professional contact service can help families restart or maintain contact in a structured, documented and child-focused way. This can be especially useful where communication between adults has broken down, but safe contact remains possible.
The article on how child arrangement services work alongside mediation explains how these different forms of support can complement each other.
Why Independent Support Is More Important Than Ever
When the family justice system is under pressure, families may face delay, uncertainty and stress. For children, uncertainty can be especially difficult. A child may not understand why they have stopped seeing a parent, why handovers feel tense, or why adults around them are waiting for a court date before anything changes.
Independent support can help fill that gap. A private child contact service can help establish safe, structured contact while parents work through wider issues. It can also provide neutral records of attendance, behaviour, progress and concerns, which may be helpful if the matter later comes before the court.
For families in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, child arrangement services for parents Manchester through a service like Child Arrangement Resolutions can provide responsive, professional and child-focused support. The Why Us page sets out what makes CAR’s approach distinctive.
The article on how child arrangement services help reduce conflict between parents is worth reading if you want to understand how professional contact support can reduce the adversarial dynamic that court proceedings sometimes intensify.
The Role Of ISWs In A Pressured System
One practical consequence of higher demand is that professional assessments can become harder to access quickly. In private law proceedings, Cafcass may be asked to prepare safeguarding letters or section 7 reports, depending on the issues in the case and what the court directs. These reports can be crucial because they help the court understand the child’s welfare needs, the family background and any risk factors.
An Independent Social Worker can sometimes provide a valuable alternative or additional professional assessment, particularly where the parties, solicitors or the court agree that independent input would help. An ISW report is not automatically a replacement for Cafcass in every case, and the court decides what evidence it will accept. However, properly prepared reports from experienced social workers can be highly useful in children matters.
CAR’s ISW team has professional experience in areas such as Cafcass work, child protection and fostering, and can produce reports designed to give an objective, child-focused view. Find out more on the ISW Services page.
The article on evidence from court ordered child contact services explains how professionally produced records and reports can feed into court decisions and what standards that evidence needs to meet.
For High-Conflict Cases
The rise in private law applications includes many cases where parental conflict is entrenched. These are often the cases where children are most at risk of being caught in the middle.
High-conflict cases may involve repeated allegations, poor communication, hostile handovers, refusal to follow informal agreements, or a long history of mistrust. In these cases, independent professional support is not just convenient. It can be essential.
A structured contact service can help by creating clear rules, safe handover arrangements, neutral documentation and professional oversight. This can reduce opportunities for conflict and keep the focus on the child’s experience rather than the adults’ dispute.
The article on the role of court ordered child contact services in high conflict parenting cases covers how professional services manage more complex situations, and the Child Arrangement Services for High Conflict Cases page has more detail on what is available.
If you are a professional, such as a solicitor, social worker, mediator or agency worker, supporting a family in this position, referrals to CAR can be made through the Referrals page.
When Private Contact Support Can Help Before Court
Not every family dispute needs to become a fully contested court case. Where safeguarding allows, private contact support can help parents test practical arrangements before taking formal steps.
For example, a parent who has not seen their child for several months may need contact to restart gradually. A supervised or supported session can allow the child to reconnect in a safe setting. If the sessions go well, the family may be able to build towards more natural arrangements.
In other cases, the contact service may identify concerns that need further assessment. This is still useful because it gives the family clearer information rather than leaving everyone stuck in argument.
For parents who want structured contact but are not yet in court proceedings, child supervised contact services for parents can provide a practical way forward.
Tailored Support For Professional Families
Some parents worry about privacy, reputation and confidentiality when seeking help. This can be especially true for professionals who work in regulated sectors, own businesses or hold public-facing roles.
Private child contact services are designed to be professional and discreet. The focus is not on judgement. It is on helping children maintain safe, appropriate relationships while the adults work through difficult arrangements.
CAR offers tailored arrangements for parents from a range of professional backgrounds. The page on child supervised contact services for accountants Manchester is one example of how support can be shaped around specific professional circumstances.
The FAQs page also answers common questions about how referrals, sessions, reports and family support work in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Access CAR’s Services Without Going To Court?
Yes. Many families use CAR privately without court involvement. A referral can be made directly by the family or by a professional acting on their behalf. The service will still need to consider suitability, safeguarding and the child’s needs before sessions begin.
Does Cafcass Work Alongside Private Contact Services?
Private contact services operate independently from Cafcass, but they may work alongside a case where Cafcass is also involved. Session notes, observations and reports may be submitted in proceedings where relevant and permitted. The court decides what evidence it accepts and how much weight to give it.
Can An Independent Social Worker Replace Cafcass?
Not automatically. Cafcass has a specific role in family court proceedings. However, an Independent Social Worker can provide valuable assessment work where properly instructed, and the court may consider an ISW report where it is relevant and admissible.
What If Contact Has Completely Broken Down?
Private contact support can sometimes help restart contact gradually, depending on the circumstances. This may begin with supervised contact, supported handovers or carefully planned introductory sessions. The right starting point depends on the child’s age, the length of the gap, safeguarding issues and the views of the adults involved.
What If There Are Safeguarding Concerns?
Safeguarding concerns must be taken seriously. A professional service will assess whether contact is suitable and what level of supervision or support is needed. In some cases, contact may need to wait until further assessment or court directions are in place.
Where Can I Find Out More About How CAR Supports Families In Proceedings?
The FAQs page covers the most common questions, and the team can talk through your situation before you commit to a referral.
Do Not Wait For The Courts To Move First
With Cafcass demand at its highest overall monthly level since March 2021 and private law cases rising sharply across 2025–26, families should not assume that waiting is the only option. Where it is safe and suitable, early independent support can help create structure, reduce conflict and keep the child’s needs at the centre.
Professional support through private child contact supervision Manchester and beyond can help families move forward while proceedings are ongoing, or in some cases avoid proceedings altogether.
Contact Child Arrangement Resolutions today to find out how the team can help your family take the next step.