The number of urgent care proceedings in the family courts has increased sharply since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Guardian has learned.
Judicial sources say that a combination of the lockdown leading to families being forced to spend the majority of their time together, often in confined spaces, increased drinking by some parents and major money worries are a toxic combination, which is putting vulnerable children at risk. Some family courts have seen a fivefold increase in care proceedings cases in recent weeks.
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