Almost
2,000 court cases involving children are suffering delays because of major
staff shortages within the legal system.
A
report by the Children and Family Court Advisory Service shows that delays to
hearings involving contact disputes are now about 18 weeks.
The
internal report, which was obtained by The Times newspaper, also found that
care proceedings were being delayed by up to two months.
The
news comes despite extensive recruitment activity by the service, which claims
it needs a further £6m to employ enough staff.
The
delays are being caused by a lack of skilled staff, particularly the court
guardians who look after the children’s interests.Â
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