What is a section 7 report in a child arrangements case?

When the court orders one

The court may order a section 7 report at the first hearing if the case is not resolved. The rules say these reports are generally ordered only in certain situations. Examples are a dispute about where the child lives or spends time, or an allegation of risk. Others are where the child's wishes are in issue or information is needed.

The court must first consider whether other ways of resolving the dispute would work. It must write the specific issues for the report on the face of the order.

If there is to be a fact-finding hearing, the court will not usually ask for the report until afterwards. The findings are then sent to the report writer.

Who writes it

The report is written by a Cafcass family court adviser (FCA), or in Wales by Cafcass Cymru. In some cases the local authority writes it.

The court sends the order and relevant documents to the report writer straight away.

What the family court adviser does

Cafcass says the adviser decides what information they need, based on the safeguarding letter and what the court asked.

1. Writes to your child to introduce themselves.
2. Usually talks to your child alone, which may be somewhere neutral such as school.
3. Observes a baby or young child with a parent or carer.
4. Spends time with each parent to hear any concerns.
5. May speak to others, such as family members, teachers or health workers.
6. Shares their thinking and recommendations with you and your child before filing the report.

Your child's voice

Cafcass says the adviser will not ask your child to decide the arrangements or choose between parents.

The court pays particular attention to the child's wishes and feelings. It may not always do what the child wants.

Seeing the report and disagreeing with it

Cafcass says that in most cases you will see the report before the court hearing.

If you disagree with the adviser's views, Cafcass suggests telling the court what you are unhappy about. The judge can then take your concerns into account.

For factual errors, such as a wrong name or date of birth, Cafcass suggests telling the adviser who wrote the report or their manager.

What happens next

The court usually lists a dispute resolution appointment (DRA) after the report. The report writer only attends if the court directs it, and the order should say so.

The rules say the case should not be adjourned for addendum reports unless necessary and for a clear purpose.

Some family courts use a different approach called the Child Focused Model. There, a Child Impact Report is prepared early and the steps differ from those described here. Cafcass says the model is being rolled out across England and Wales. There, the Child Impact Report is itself a section 7 report.