The Ministry of Justice has published a report into the processes by which experts are appointed in light of the new rules and to develop an understanding of the contribution experts make to just and timely decisions in the family court.

Changes to the way the family court can instruct experts were reflected in new Family Procedure Rules on 31 January 2013 and later enshrined in legislation with the Children and Families Act 2014.

This report presents findings from two studies – one conducted between November 2013 and February 2014 and comprising an online survey, focus groups and interviews the other conducted between June and December 2014 which looked at materials from closed family law cases and which were used to guide discussion and evaluate aspects of the expert process,

The report can be found on the Ministry of Justice web site at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/486770/use-experts-family-law.pdf