The reporting pilot was initially launched in January 2023 as part of the judiciary’s work to increase transparency and improve public confidence in the family justice system. Family court proceedings usually take place in private, which means that the public are not permitted to be present in the family court, however, the pilot allows the media to report on family cases if an application is made and a transparency order is granted. 

The pilot is now being opened up to include even more private law cases and under the extended scheme, reporters and legal bloggers will be able to report on public and private law cases at a number of family courts, including the Central Family Court, East London, West London, and (our local court), Guildford. It is expected that the scheme will eventually be rolled out to all family courts in England and Wales.

The pilot scheme doesn’t affect the privacy of non-court dispute resolution so avoiding court altogether is often the surest way of to keep your situations as private as possible. Various forms of non-court dispute resolution are available to separating families, including the “one solicitor one couple” model, private hearings, early neutral evaluations, or arbitration. Forms of non-court dispute resolution also have a host of other benefits – typically reducing acrimony, avoiding delay, and allowing for more flexibility in terms of timing and choice of adjudicator/evaluator. Non-court dispute resolution can also be the more cost-effective option for many. 

It is recommended that separating families seek early advice about which form of non-court dispute resolution might be the most appropriate for them. If you are interested in finding out more, do contact our family team.