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GLOSSARY

CAFCASS definition

Published by a LexisNexis Family expert

What does CAFCASS mean?

Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.

On its website CAFCASS states that it “looks after the interests of children involved in family proceedings”. In such proceedings if required a CAFCASS officer (Children & Family Court Reporter) will work with children and families in order to provide a report for the court advising on what they consider to be in the best interests of the children. Commonly reports are required when contact or residence orders are disputed.

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Child Arrangements Programme—the procedure for section 8 applications

This Practice Note explains how to apply for an order under section 8 of the Children Act 1989 (ChA 1989), namely, a child arrangements order (CAO), a specific issue or prohibited steps order. It includes guidance on the requirements for attendance at a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM). It also considers the provisions of the Pre-application Protocol: private law proceedings relating to children (the protocol), which is annexed to FPR 2010, PD 12B and outlines the steps the court will expect the parties to take in relation to non-court dispute resolution (NCDR), where this is safe and appropriate, prior to the commencement of any application for an order in private law children proceedings. It identifies the respondents and anyone else to whom notice must be given and explains about gatekeeping, service requirements, the first hearing dispute resolution appointment (FHDRA) and the directions that may be given and the dispute resolution appointment (DRA). It also provides information about settlement conferences, how to withdraw proceedings and orders by consent. It explains...

Transparency in the family courts—communicating information from children proceedings

Transparency in the family courts—communicating information from children proceedings This Practice Note considers when information can be communicated from proceedings where the Family Procedure Rules 2010 (FPR 2010), SI 2010/2955, Pt 12 (Proceedings relating to children except parental order proceedings and proceedings for applications in adoption, placement and related proceedings) or FPR 2010, SI 2010/2955, Pt 14 (Procedure for applications in adoption, placement and related proceedings) apply, following the move towards increased transparency in the family courts. FPR 2010, PD 12R (the court giving permission to communicate information from proceedings to which FPR 2010, SI 2010/2955, Pt 12 applies) and FPR 2010, PD 14G (the court giving permission to communicate information from certain proceedings to which FPR 2010, SI 2010/2955, Pt 14 applies) are set out. The Family Procedure (Amendment No 2) Rules 2024, SI 2024/1322 (SI 2024/1322) amended FPR 2010 inserting rules to enable Practice Directions to make provision about the court giving permission to communicate information from proceedings. The Practice Directions set out when the court should consider...

Discover our 6 Practice Notes on CAFCASS

Specific issue and prohibited steps orders—client guide

Specific issue and prohibited steps orders—client guide This document provides general guidance regarding applications for specific issue and prohibited steps orders. Your family lawyer will be able to provide specific advice based on your circumstances. Specific issue orders A specific issue order determines a particular question in connection with a child. It can be used to resolve issues about a child's upbringing, such as where the child should go school (eg state or private), whether they should receive religious instruction or whether they should have a particular form of medical treatment. Prohibited steps orders A prohibited steps order imposes a restriction on a parent or other holder of parental responsibility that prevents them from doing something without consent of the court. They may be used, for example, to prevent a change of a child’s name or to prevent a parent from taking a child abroad. Who can apply? Parents, step-parents with parental responsibility, guardians, special guardians and anyone who is named in a child arrangements order as a...

Public children—client guide

Public children—client guide This document provides general guidance regarding public law applications relating to children. Your family lawyer will be able to provide specific advice based on your circumstances. There are several types of order that a court can make when a local authority has concerns about a child’s welfare and intervenes within a family setting. This guide provides a brief summary of those orders. About care proceedings ‘Care proceedings’ is the phrase used to describe the legal process by which a local authority asks the court to allow it to place a young person under its care. Children are only ‘looked after’ by a local authority when the court is satisfied that a child is suffering, or are likely to suffer, significant harm from the way they are being looked after by their parents or carers, or that a child is beyond a parent or carer’s control. What is an interim care order? This is usually the first step within court proceedings where social workers...

Dive into our 3 Precedents related to CAFCASS

Family weekly highlights—17 April 2025

This edition includes details of the most recent View from the President’s Chambers and updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) released by the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Recent judgments, including the Supreme Court's dismissal of an appeal against the discharge of injunctions prohibiting identification of the clinicians involved in treating gravely ill children, consideration of intermediary assistance in care proceedings and the use of a Hadkinson order are also set out.

A View from the President's Chambers: April 2025

The latest View from the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, provides an overview of recent updates and ongoing initiatives within the family justice system. This edition covers a wide array of topics, including the relaunch of the Public Law Outline (PLO), the Pathfinder model for private children cases, transparency, judicial security, CAFCASS domestic abuse guidance, the Planning together for Children and Working Together for Children programmes, the express financial remedy procedure pilot, recent and upcoming publications from the Family Justice Council, a new resource from the Family Justice Young People’s Board entitled ‘Safe Family Time’ and the publication of the Toolkit for Judges Writing to Children. Additionally, it provides an update on the appointment of new High Court judges.

Read the latest 2 News articles on CAFCASS