According to a survey by the Law Society, family law cases involving domestic violence and/or vulnerable children who are at risk of suffering serious harm are being delayed in central London. Over 70 per cent of participants in a recent survey said their hearings had been delayed and delays of six months or more are not uncommon.

The problem stems from there not being enough judicial time allocated to the hearing of family cases. The Law Society has urged the Government to give priority to the matter, citing the case of an eight-month-old girl who is the subject of a custody battle between her mother and the local council. The case faces a further seven-month wait before it comes to court.

Says Helen Hope, 'We do all we can to make sure cases are heard as speedily as possible, but we are at the mercy of the court lists. In some areas, the amount of time allocated for judges to hear cases is not adequate to allow them to be heard promptly. It is frustrating for all concerned, but is especially difficult in cases involving children, where the delay could possibly be to their detriment.'