Table 1

Legal representation status of applicants and respondents in Family Court cases in Wales with at least one hearing, annually 2011 - 2017

Legal Representation

Year

Total Cases

Cases With Hearing

Both

%

Applicant or Respondent

%

Neither / Unknown

%

2011

15,317

5,862

3,309

56%

1,878

32%

675

12%

2012

15,303

6,356

3,496

55%

2,094

33%

766

12%

2013

14,316

6,580

2,721

41%

2,659

40%

1,200

18%

2014

12,849

5,586

2,221

40%

2,035

36%

1,330

24%

2015

13,376

5,398

2,175

40%

2,005

37%

1,218

23%

2016

16,742

6,072

2,515

41%

2,071

34%

1,486

24%

2017

14,092

6,091

2,530

42%

2,102

35%

1,459

24%

Source:

HMCTS FamilyMan case management system

Notes:

1) Legal representation is determined by the field 'legal representation' in Familyman being left blank or completed. Therefore, this is only a proxy measure and parties without a recorded representative are not necessarily self-representing litigants in person.

2) In this instance 'at least one hearing' refers to non-vacated scheduled hearings, rather than actual hearings that have taken place.

3) In most Family Court case types, there are instances of cases with more than one applicant or respondent. In these instances, if any one applicant or respondent is recorded as having legal representation (as detailed in note 1), then this group has been considered as 1 party all with legal representation.