UK Family Law Market Report 2024

This is the 10th annual edition of the report publis hed in April 2024 (38 page PDF report)

Report Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 4
Market overview. 4
Family law developments in 2023/24. 4
Steady market growth forecast for the next few years. 5

INTRODUCTION. 5
Definition. 5

MARKET STRUCTURE. 8
Law firm numbers in family law continue to fall 8
Mediation services. 9
Other family law advisers . 10

MARKET DEVELOPMENTS AND DRIVERS. 10
Marriage and co-habitation trends. 10
Civil partnerships increase. 11
Legal aid family work and funding in long term decline. 11
Mediation starts decreased in 2022/23 but some increase in latest year.12
High numbers of LIPs in adoption, private law, and domestic abuse cases. 13
Divorce application fees will remain at £593. 14
Family court reporting pilot extended. 14
Mandatory mediation for separating couples dropped. 14
Options for alternative dispute resolution still available. 15
CMA investigation launched covering online divorce services. 15
£55m for family courts in Spring Budget. 16
Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report and response on family court process. 16
Still delays and backlogs in family courts . 17

THE KEY PLAYERS. 17
Amicable. 18
Family Law Group (FLG). 19
Family Law Partners. 19
Hall Brown Family Law. 19
Irwin Mitchell. 20
Rayden Solicitors. 20
Simpson Millar. 20
Slater & Gordon. 20
Stowe Family Law. 20
The Divorce Surgery. 21
Vardags. 21
Solicitors - London firms. 21
Solicitors - Rest of the UK. 23
Online divorce. 24

MARKET SIZE AND TRENDS. 25
Strongest market growth for four years in 2023. 25
Matrimonial cases in Family Court decrease in 2023. 26
Divorce petitions filed fell in 2023 but those completed increased. 29
Digital divorce applications account for 95% of all petitions filed. 30
Civil partnership dissolutions decreasing in England and Wales. 30
Divorces in Scotland and Northern Ireland. 31
Financial remedy applications and disposals increase in 2023. 31
Children Act cases decrease again in 2023. 32
Volume of domestic violence cases growing long-term but decline in 2023. 33
Adoption applications generally declining but an increase in 2023. 34

THE FUTURE. 35
Steady growth to 2027 with CAGR of 4.5%. 35

Associations37