Fact sheet: Family Public Law online service
Updated 17 April 2024
Applies to England and Wales
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The Family Public Law online service allows local authorities to complete and submit online applications for care and supervision orders online, using MyHMCTS.
The service helps the judiciary to make faster decisions for children. Information relating to an application is available in one place and judges can approve orders or request changes.
The service is used by every local authority in England and Wales. It notifies everyone involved in an application as the application progresses and actions need to be taken. This makes sure that cases can progress quickly, and children do not face unnecessary delays in having their future agreed.
1. Headline figures
In 2023 15,707 applications were made to the Family Public Law service.
2. Main outcomes
The Family Public Law service aims to support the court in its role to decide on the best outcomes for children involved in public law cases. We’ve achieved several main outcomes so far, including:
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local authorities say applying online is 50% quicker than applying on paper forms
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allowing legal professionals to be added to applications so that they can access the case information they need to prepare for a hearing
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giving all professionals involved in an application the ability to access case information remotely and without delay.
3. Looking ahead
We’re making it easier for users to access documents and improve efficiency of the service. We’ll also be working with service users to listen to feedback and ideas for service improvements.
We’ll also be planning to review the application for a care or supervision order or an Emergency Protection Order (C110A) and the form for making an application in existing court proceedings relating to children (Form C2).
4. Feedback
A member of the judiciary in Cardiff said:
Cardiff was a relatively early adopter of the new online public law service so I have now been using it for some time. A significant advantage is that the file is always available; no need to wait for staff to bring it to you and you can access it from wherever you are. This has been of great assistance during the national, and more recent local, lockdowns.
I was originally concerned that having a centralised system with staff not being easily accessible might lead to delays but that has not happened. The Courts and Tribunal Service Centre at Stoke appears to be well staffed and progress is swiftly made once, for example, orders are approved.
5. Further information
Read our guidance on responding to a family public law application.
Read our guidance on how to apply for a Family Public Law order.
Find out more about how the Family Public Law service helped local authorities and children during the pandemic.
Find more about family public law applications in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly.
6. Contact us
Contact the project team if you have a query about the Family Public Law service.
The team cannot answer questions on specific care and supervision orders. For information on the progress of your applications, check your dashboard on MyHMCTS.
The data included on this page is drawn from either management information or Ministry of Justice (MOJ) official statistics. Management information reflects the data held on our case management system, and is subject to change. Official statistics are fully quality-assured and form the agreed definitive position.