Statistics

Research and data reviews

Alongside the statistics hub, we periodically compile the official data into longer reviews that can be cited, shared and checked in one place. Each review is a practitioner data summary, not peer-reviewed research, and every figure is referenced to its primary source with an access date, following our statistics methodology.

Working paper · July 2026

Family mediation and the family courts in England and Wales: a review of the official data, mid-2026

Jess Knauf, Director of Client Strategy, Mediate UK

In the quarter ending March 2026, neither party had legal representation in 49% of private law disposals. This paper compiles the official statistics on representation, court demand and delay, divorce after the 2022 reforms, and the tracked outcomes of funded family mediation, where 77% of families reached whole or partial agreement. It sets out the definitional caveats and the policy direction in which courts increasingly expect families to attempt non-court dispute resolution first.

Download the paper (PDF, 6 pages)
Eleven references, four charts, all figures from Ministry of Justice, ONS and Legal Aid Agency publications.

Journalists are welcome to quote the paper with attribution; our press page has reuse terms, key facts and contact details. If you spot an error, email office@mediationguide.co.uk and we will correct the record the same day it is confirmed.