Less Stressful Application Process for Separated Parents

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) have announced the launch of a new online service to make it quicker and easier for separated parents to apply to see their children.

During a pilot stage over 8,000 parents made applications and around 93% of them were satisfied or very satisfied.

The service promises to make the application process quicker and less stressful for parents wanting to see their children.

Previous to the online system, parents and legal representatives would use an entirely paper service that could mean them filling out over 30 pages, often leading to mistakes.

The digital system has now been simplified and can be achieved in as little as seven pages, showing an added bonus for the environment.

Another benefit to users is that the system also directs parents to alternatives than applying to court in their child arrangement guide, such as negotiation tools and professional mediation services.

Richard Goodman, HMCTS Change Director said:

“For parents, it can often be a stressful, challenging time when trying to arrange visits to see children and this system is designed to make that process as straightforward as possible.

“As the court reform programme progresses, we will continue introduce services that make the justice system easier to navigate and more efficient for all those that use it.”

The switch to digital services is part of a £1 billion court reform and just one of the ways the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and HMCTS are using a move to digital to increase access to justice for court users.