Looking for information on the Irish family justice system

Hi there,  

Thank you for getting in touch with Ask Robyn.

You are looking for some information on the Irish family justice system. This can be a complicated system to understand, and it is important to try to figure out what aspects of the system may be relevant to you. People may wish to ask about the family justice system due to a current issue for them at present and it is important to be aware of how an issue is resolved depends on what it is, sometimes people choose not to go to court and instead use a mediator to help. If the case goes to the courts, it can take a while for the case to be brought up in court. Wait times are different all around the country. 

The area that is often most daunting and can raise the most questions is around understanding the process of going to court. 

The Irish system consists of a collection of services, structures and supports for families who would like help when dealing with changes they experience in family life. These can include reasons such as parents not being together anymore, which parent the children might live with, how often they see each parent, and can be more complicated when there are possible concerns of any form of abuse of anyone within the family.

The family justice system falls between private and public law, and some cases may need to go to criminal court if either the parents or children have been hurt or harmed.  

There are a number of people and support services involved in the family justice system. These include: the courts service itself, the judiciary or judge and legal professionals.

There are other support services who may attend a court hearing such as other government agencies, legal aid boards, Túsla and county registrars. 

One area that can be complicated within the family justice system is understanding the process of Children in Care. Tusla have developed a document to help understand the different process of a child being in care and what different types of care mean within the courts: www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/tulsa_guide_2023_families_with_children_in_care.pdf

One Family also provide excellent information on understanding the family justice system and family law: onefamily.ie/information-service-helpline/family-law/

 There may be a particular area of the system you were hoping for more information about within this answer. If that is the case, we hope you reach out to use again with any follow up questions. Alternatively, You are also very welcome to call us on a parent support line on 01 522 4300 if you what to talk more about possible options. This line is open between 9am-1pm, Monday-Friday. Alternatively, you can email us at [email protected]. 

Take care,  

Robyn