Major changes to the family court system have been welcomed by a Shropshire legal expert who says the new approach will put children at the heart of the process.

Child Focused Courts, which were formerly called Pathfinder Courts, are being expanded across England and Wales with the aim of reducing trauma and giving children swifter access to justice.

The decision follows a successful trial period which resulted in family law court backlogs being halved and cases being resolved up to seven-and-a-half months faster.

Sue Hodgson, head of family law at Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, said the move was good news for everyone involved with a family dispute - particularly the children themselves.

She said: “This will offer a new way of approaching private law cases, creating a context in which risk is assessed earlier and is better understood.

“Crucially, the aim is to reduce conflict and put children at the centre of proceedings, which frankly is long overdue as the needs of the children should always be one of the very top priorities of any family law case.

“We welcome this decision because it will allow the court to identify the families’ needs earlier and to improve multiagency working between the courts, Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service) and local authorities.

“Ultimately, it’s all about improving the experiences of children and families during what is inevitably a stressful and difficult time for everyone involved.”

Announcing the initiative, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy said: “Court backlogs are not just numbers on a page. When it comes to the family courts, they represent victims waiting, families in limbo and children and domestic abuse victims left to linger in harm’s way.

“That is why the national rollout of the Child Focused Courts matters so much. It will protect, support and hear the voices of children, helping family courts make safe and fair decisions without delay.

“It also shows that, through innovative reforms, we can make our courts work better, tackle delays and bring down the backlog so more victims and families get the swift justice they deserve.”

Child Focused Courts currently operate in 10 of 43 court areas in England and Wales, including all of Wales, Birmingham, the West Midlands, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and West Yorkshire.

Backed by £17 million in Government funding for the next financial year, the model will initially be rolled out across Northumbria and North Durham, Cleveland and South Durham, Lancashire, Cumbria, York and North Yorkshire, Cheshire and Merseyside, Northamptonshire, and Coventry and Warwickshire. It will then expand across the rest of England and Wales over the upcoming financial years.

The Government says the decision to extend the rollout of Child Focused Courts is a key pillar of the Plan for Change to protect children and clamp down on the scourge of domestic abuse. This will help halve violence against women and girls in a decade, tackle the backlog to repair the justice system after years of neglect, and deliver swifter and fair justice for all victims.