UK Family Law Market Report 2025: A £2.2 Billion Industry in 2024 - Financial Remedy Applications and Disposals Increase for Second Year Running - ResearchAndMarkets.com

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "UK Family Law Market Report 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The eleventh edition of this annual report which provides a review of the market looking at the legislative background, recent market developments and drivers, market structure, market size and trends with historical volume and value data, the key players and future market developments with forecasts to 2028.

The annual value of the family law market reached an estimated £2.2bn in 2024, increasing by 5.4% on the 2023 market value. Cases started in the family court fell in 2024 but cases completed increased led by strong growth in financial remedies cases reaching a conclusion. CAGR of 5% is forecast between 2024 and 2028.

Selected statistics for England and Wales are:

• All cases started in the family courts decreased by 1.1% in 2024 but case completions were 4.8% up on 2023.
• Matrimonial cases (primarily divorce) are by far the largest group of cases in the family law courts accounting for 42% of all cases started in 2024. However, matrimonial cases started decreased by 3.7% with the number at 109,444 in 2024.
• The number of matrimonial cases reaching completion in the family courts in 2024 increased by 1.9%.
• By 2024, 96% of all divorce petitions were filed digitally.
• Categories of family law cases experiencing increases in cases started in 2024 were led by Children Act matters and financial remedies. The latter cases also witnessed a large increase in cases completed with growth of 16.8% over the previous year.
• Mediations completed in 2024 increased over the previous year although mediation starts fell.
• The last 12 months have seen a number of family law schemes initiated or extended and these include: opening up of reporting in family courts to all family courts; mediation voucher scheme extended for another year; child-led family court pilot scheme extended; pilot programme to improve protection for domestic abuse launched; pilot scheme to deal with low-value assets in financial remedies matters launched. There have also been calls for reform of the financial remedies process and the adoption process. Further details of all these developments are given in the report.

Key Topics Covered:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Market overview
• Steady market growth forecast for the next few years

INTRODUCTION

• Definition

MARKET STRUCTURE

• Family law firm numbers dip by almost 400 in last four years
• Mediation services
• Other family law advisers

MARKET DEVELOPMENTS AND DRIVERS

• Marriage and co-habitation trends
• Civil partnerships increase
• Legal aid work and funding in long term decline but an increase in 2023/24
• Number of mediation outcomes grows in 2023/24
• High numbers of LIPs in adoption, private law, and domestic abuse cases
• Law Commission says law on financial remedies needs reform
• Open reporting provisions extended to all family courts
• Child-led family court pilot scheme is extended
• Pilot programme to improve protections for domestic abuse victims
• Family court fees increased in April 2025
• Consultation on cohabitation law reform to start in 2025
• Mediation voucher scheme extended again for 12 months
• Pilot scheme to deal with low-value assets in financial remedy cases quicker
• CMA publishes consumer protection guidance for unregulated providers
• Wholesale reform of the adoption process recommended
• Standish v Standish - matrimonial and non-matrimonial assets
• Some slight improvements in family court delays but not for all categories
• Awareness of mediation growing

THE KEY PLAYERS

• Amicable
• Family Law Group (FLG)
• Family Law Partners
• Hall Brown Family Law
• Maguire Family Law Solicitors
• Rayden Solicitors
• Stowe Family Law
• The Divorce Surgery
• Vardags
• Solicitors - London firms
• Solicitors - Rest of the UK
• Online divorce

MARKET SIZE AND TRENDS

• Healthy market growth continues in 2024
• Family Court cases started fell in 2024 due to drop in matrimonial matters
• But cases completed increased in 2024
• Divorce petitions filed fell again in 2024 but those completed increased
• Digital divorce applications account for almost all petitions filed
• Civil partnership dissolutions decreasing in England and Wales
• Divorces in Scotland and Northern Ireland
• Financial remedy applications and disposals increase for second year running
• Children Act cases started increase in 2024
• Domestic violence cases started slip in 2024 but disposals increase
• Adoption applications and starts decrease in 2024

THE FUTURE

• Steady growth to 2028 with CAGR of 5%

ASSOCIATIONS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/sxjsqj

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