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Major changes in Dublin family-law procedures

The Courts Service is rolling out significant changes this summer to streamline family-law procedures.

Starting 22 April, the Dublin Circuit Court will launch the Family Law Portal Pilot, expanding on earlier trials in Cavan and the Midlands.

The portal aims to simplify Circuit Court family-law filings and will be gradually extended nationwide based on feedback and user experience.

Legal professionals are encouraged to engage with the pilot, offering insights that will help shape the system.

End goal

The end goal is to move all Circuit Court family-law proceedings online by the close of the pilot phase in Dublin, with a wider rollout to follow.

In addition, new District Court family-law forms are set to launch in June.

These simplified forms, which cover maintenance, child arrangements, and domestic-violence cases, are designed to be easier to navigate.

Notably, the Courts Service will now manage the assignment of court dates and the generation of summonses, removing the need for practitioners and litigants to pre-fill these documents.

To assist legal practitioners with changes to the District Court family-law forms, the Courts Service is hosting two webinars in April. Registration is open for both sessions.

Learn more 

24 April:4.00-4.45pm – register here.

29 April: 9.30-10.55am – register here.