There has been an almost 50 per cent increase in child custody applications in the past year, as well as significant increases in other court applications referring to children, figures from the busiest family law court in the State show.
The increases, published yesterday by the Chief Justice, Mr Justice John Murray, at the opening of a new family law mediation service at Dolphin House family law court, are thought to be a byproduct of the economic downturn.
The new service, a pilot project in Dublin only, aims to keep couples in dispute about issues relating to their children – custody, access, guardianship and/or maintenance – out of court and to steer them to mediated, mutually agreed resolutions.