Private law data
Private law demand is generally used to refer to applications made following a divorce or separation about the arrangements for children, such as where a child will live or with whom a child will spend time.
Note: Cafcass private law demand statistics are published on the tenth working day of each month. Figures are provided from our national databases, the current electronic case management system (ECMS) and historical case management system (CMS). In private law the unit of measurement is a case (note a case can involve multiple children and multiple application types). These are counted upon receipt of the application from the court and entry into the database. The ECMS is a live system and any late entries will be accounted for upon the release of subsequent updates to this data.
If you have any queries about the private law statistics, please contact us via our website form.
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Monthly statistics
The number of private law applications received per month nationally can be seen in the table below.
Latest release: We received 38,513 new private law cases from April 2019 to January 2020, which is 2,376 cases (6.6%) more than the same period in 2018. These cases involved 58,601 children, which is 3,452 (6.3%) more children than April to December 2018.
You can download January 2020 Private law demand, which contains the latest official statistics for private law demand.
Private law cases received
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
Cases
Children
Cases
Children
Cases
Children
Cases
Children
Apr 3,465
5,172
3,132
4,704
3,461
5,229
3,619
5,451
May 3,168
4,772
3,626
5,521
3,633
5,598
3,853
5,923
Jun 3,481
5,252
3,814
5,777
3,387
5,139
3,625
5,549
Jul 3,372
5,070
3,614
5,434
3,684
5,716
4,272
6,503
Aug 3,436
5,214
3,640
5,486
3,943
5,990
3,753
5,760
Sep 3,494
5,236
3,549
5,493
3,430
5,212
3,736
5,743
Oct 3,377
5,102
3,813
5,801
3,981
6,031
4,310
6,552
Nov 3,491
5,241
3,744
5,715
4,014
6,056
3,978
6,097
Dec 2,842
4,302
2,741 4,144 3,046 4,726 3,249 4,959 Jan 3,240
4,896
3,504 5,287 3,558 5,452 4,118 6,064 Feb 3,329
4,995
3,088 4,718 3,635 5,563 Mar 3,810
5,691
3,526 5,399 4,067 6,134 Total 40,505
60,943
41,789
63,483
43,839
66,846
38,513
58,601
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Annual summaries
April 2018 – March 2019
- Between April 2018 and March 2019 Cafcass received a total of 43,847 new private law cases.
- This figure shows a 4.9% increase compared with the previous financial year.
April 2017 – March 2018
- Between April 2017 and March 2018 Cafcass received a total of 41,789 new private law cases.
- This figure shows a 3.1% increase compared with the previous financial year.
April 2016 – March 2017
- Between April 2016 and March 2017 Cafcass received a total of 40,536 new private law cases.
- This figure shows an 8.3% increase compared with the previous financial year.
April 2015 – March 2016
- Between April 2015 and March 2016 Cafcass received a total of 37,415 new private law cases.
- This figure shows a 10% increase compared with the previous financial year.
April 2014 – March 2015
- Between April 2014 and March 2015 Cafcass received a total of 34,119 new private law cases.
- This figure shows a 27% decrease compared with the previous financial year.