Child arrangements cases in the East London Family Court area, which handles cases from Romford and Havering, took a median of 43.1 weeks from application to the case closing in April to June 2026, against 24.7 weeks across England and Wales.
That figure comes from the Signature Law Family Court Wait Index, one of four indexes on this page. Each one is built from official data, cut for the places our clients live: Romford, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and Essex. Last updated 12 November 2026.
Key findings
- The Signature Law Family Court Wait Index found that child arrangements cases in the East London Family Court area, which covers Romford and Havering, took a median of 43.1 weeks from application to the case closing in April to June 2026, against 24.7 weeks across England and Wales.
- 31.1% of East London child arrangements cases closed within 26 weeks in April to June 2026, compared with 52.4% nationally (Signature Law Family Court Wait Index).
- In the Essex and Suffolk family court area, which covers Brentwood, child arrangements cases took a median of 31.7 weeks in April to June 2026 (Signature Law Family Court Wait Index).
- The Signature Law Children's Services Index found Havering children's services carried out 1,306 section 47 child protection enquiries in the year to March 2025, a rate of 204.8 per 10,000 children against 189.3 across England.
- In Havering, 45.9% of section 47 enquiries led to an initial child protection conference in the year to March 2025, compared with 31.3% in England (Signature Law Children's Services Index).
- Barking and Dagenham received 798.5 referrals to children's social care per 10,000 children in the year to March 2025, against 519.4 across England (Signature Law Children's Services Index).
- The Signature Law Cohabitation Index found that 22.2% of Havering couples raising dependent children were not married or in a civil partnership at the 2021 Census, against 15.8% across London.
- The Signature Law East London and Essex Family Home Index found the median Romford home sold for £435,000 in the 12 months to September 2026, based on 1,482 standard sales.
How long do cases take at Romford and East London family courts?
Since 2014, children cases from Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge have been handled in the East London Family Court area. In April to June 2026, a child arrangements case there took a median of 43.1 weeks from application to the case closing. 31.1% closed within 26 weeks, against 52.4% across England and Wales. In the Essex and Suffolk area, which covers Brentwood, the median was 31.7 weeks, and across all London courts it was 38.8 weeks.
For care cases brought by councils, the East London median was 46 weeks in April to June 2026, against 32 weeks nationally. The law sets a 26-week time limit for care proceedings.
| Area | Case type | Median weeks | % closed within 26 weeks | Cases closed | Median weeks a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East London | Private law children cases (child arrangements) | 43.1 | 31.1 | 444 | 44 |
| East London | Care and supervision cases | 46 | 10.4 | 115 | 47 |
| Essex and Suffolk | Private law children cases (child arrangements) | 31.7 | 40.4 | 349 | 33.4 |
| Essex and Suffolk | Care and supervision cases | 42.4 | 17.9 | 84 | 46.3 |
| London (all courts) | Private law children cases (child arrangements) | 38.8 | 34.5 | 1,460 | 45.1 |
| London (all courts) | Care and supervision cases | 44.7 | 16.1 | 348 | 48 |
| England and Wales | Private law children cases (child arrangements) | 24.7 | 52.4 | 12,005 | 26.4 |
| England and Wales | Care and supervision cases | 32 | 35.7 | 3,151 | 31.9 |
What this means if you are separating. Before you can apply to court about your children, you normally need to attend a mediation information and assessment meeting (MIAM), unless an exemption applies, such as domestic abuse or urgency. Because contested cases can take many months, an agreement reached through mediation or solicitor negotiation, and recorded in a consent order, can save months. Where a child is at risk, the court can still act quickly: urgent applications can be heard within days. See our child arrangements solicitors page.
Section 47 enquiries in Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge
A section 47 enquiry is an investigation by children's services under section 47 of the Children Act 1989. In the year to March 2025, Havering carried out 1,306 section 47 enquiries, a rate of 204.8 per 10,000 children, against 189.3 across England. Barking and Dagenham's rate was 208.5 and Redbridge's 144.4.
In Havering, 45.9% of enquiries led to an initial child protection conference, against 31.3% in England. That means 54.1% ended without one. Barking and Dagenham also received 798.5 referrals to children's social care per 10,000 children, against 519.4 nationally.
| Area | Section 47 enquiries | Per 10,000 children | % leading to a child protection conference | Referrals per 10,000 children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havering | 1,306 | 204.8 | 45.9 | 563.2 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 1,386 | 208.5 | 34.8 | 798.5 |
| Redbridge | 1,129 | 144.4 | 27.6 | 519 |
| Essex | 1,407 | 42.7 | 50.7 | 173.3 |
| Outer London | 22,420 | 175.6 | 31 | 524.6 |
| England | 230,590 | 189.3 | 31.3 | 519.4 |
What this means for parents. You can take legal advice at any point in a section 47 enquiry, including before a child protection conference. If the council sends a letter before proceedings, parents can get legal aid, without a means test, for advice at the pre-proceedings meeting, and legal aid for care proceedings is not means tested for parents. Read our guide to section 47 enquiries or see how our social services solicitors help.
How many couples in Havering live together without marrying?
At the 2021 Census, 10,398 Havering households were cohabiting couples, 23.5% of all couple households. Among couples raising dependent children, 22.2% were not married or in a civil partnership, against 15.8% across London and 23.8% across England.
| Area | Cohabiting couple households | % of couple households | % of couples with dependent children who cohabit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havering | 10,398 | 23.5 | 22.2 |
| Barking and Dagenham | 6,016 | 20.8 | 19.1 |
| Redbridge | 6,445 | 14 | 9.7 |
| Brentwood | 3,667 | 25 | 19.5 |
| Epping Forest | 6,164 | 25.1 | 22.3 |
| London | 349,419 | 26.3 | 15.8 |
| East of England | 309,554 | 26.7 | 23.6 |
| England | 2,708,979 | 27.5 | 23.8 |
What this means if you live together. England and Wales has no "common law marriage". If cohabiting couples separate, neither has an automatic right to a share of the other's property or to maintenance for themselves. Property disputes are usually decided under trust law, often through a TOLATA claim, and claims for children can be made under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989. Try our free TOLATA checker or see our cohabitation solicitors page.
Romford house prices and the family home on divorce
The median Romford home sold for £435,000 in the 12 months to September 2026, based on 1,482 standard sales recorded by HM Land Registry. Upminster had the highest median of the eight towns we track, at £550,000.
| Town | Median price | Sales | Median a year earlier | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upminster | £550,000 | 292 | £585,000 | -6 |
| Chigwell | £531,250 | 188 | £480,000 | 10.7 |
| Ilford | £500,000 | 790 | £500,000 | 0 |
| Brentwood | £498,000 | 965 | £480,000 | 3.8 |
| Hornchurch | £482,500 | 731 | £480,000 | 0.5 |
| Romford | £435,000 | 1,482 | £430,000 | 1.2 |
| Dagenham | £383,000 | 637 | £375,000 | 2.1 |
| Barking | £350,000 | 234 | £365,000 | -4.1 |
What this means on divorce. The family home is often the largest asset to divide. Local sale prices are a useful starting point, but they are not a valuation of your home: in court, a single jointly instructed valuer is normally used. The court looks first at both parties' needs, especially housing for any children, which can lead to a sale, a transfer, or an order delaying sale such as a Mesher order. See property and divorce.
How we built these figures
- Signature Law Family Court Wait Index
- Weeks from application to disposal (the case closing) for cases completed in the quarter, by Designated Family Judge area, using the measure MoJ revised in June 2026. East London Family Court takes public and private law work from Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and other boroughs. The 26-week figure is the legal time limit for care cases and is shown for private law cases for comparison only. Latest quarter: April to June 2026.
- Signature Law Children's Services Index
- Section 47 enquiries and referrals per 10,000 children aged 0 to 17, using the ONS mid-year estimate for the previous year (as DfE does). Rank 1 = highest rate of section 47 enquiries among English councils. Latest year: the year to March 2025.
- Signature Law Cohabitation Index
- Single-family households only. 'Couple households' = married or civil partnership couple families plus cohabiting couple families. Census 2021.
- Signature Law East London and Essex Family Home Index
- Standard residential sales (category A) by postal town. Medians, not averages. Property types with fewer than 10 sales are not shown. Period: the 12 months to September 2026. Land Registry records sales about two months after they complete, so the latest months are incomplete.
We update these figures when new official data is published, and every update is checked before it goes live.
Cite this data
You can quote, chart or republish these figures under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, as long as you credit Signature Law and link to this page. Suggested citation:
Signature Law (2026). Family Law Statistics 2026: Romford, Havering and East London. https://signaturelaw.co.uk/family-law-statistics
Journalists can contact us for comment from Sital Somaiya.
Sources
- Ministry of Justice, Family Court Statistics QuarterlyOpen Government Licence v3.0
- Department for Education, Children in needOpen Government Licence v3.0
- ONS Census 2021, TS003 Household composition (via Nomis)Open Government Licence v3.0
- HM Land Registry Price Paid DataOpen Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data (c) Crown copyright and database right.
Frequently asked questions
- How long does a child arrangements case take at Romford family court?
- Family cases from Romford and Havering are handled in the East London Family Court area. In April to June 2026, child arrangements cases there took a median of 43.1 weeks from application to the case closing, against 24.7 weeks across England and Wales. Cases agreed at or soon after the first hearing are usually much quicker; cases needing fact-finding hearings or expert reports take longer.
- Which court hears family cases from Romford?
- Since 2014, children cases from Havering, Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge have been allocated to the East London Family Court at 11 Westferry Circus, Canary Wharf. Some hearings may be listed at Romford County Court and Family Court on Oaklands Avenue. Your court papers will say where each hearing takes place, and whether you can attend remotely.
- What is a section 47 enquiry?
- It is an investigation by children's services under section 47 of the Children Act 1989, carried out when the council has reasonable cause to suspect a child is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm. In the year to March 2025, Havering carried out 1,306 of them, and 54.1% ended without an initial child protection conference.
- Do unmarried couples have the same rights as married couples?
- No. There is no "common law marriage" in England and Wales. On separation, cohabiting partners have no automatic right to share property or to claim maintenance for themselves. Property disputes are usually decided under trust law, often through a TOLATA claim, and claims for children can be made under Schedule 1 to the Children Act 1989. A cohabitation agreement can set out what happens in advance.
- How is the family home valued in a divorce?
- Usually by agreement, or by a single valuer instructed jointly by both of you. Local sale prices, such as the median Romford price of £435,000 in the 12 months to September 2026, are a useful guide but are not a valuation of your home. The court then considers both parties' needs, especially housing for children, before deciding what happens to the home.
- Can I use these figures?
- Yes. You can quote, chart or republish them under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence if you credit Signature Law and link to this page. The underlying official data is Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence, and each source is listed above. Journalists can contact us for comment from Sital Somaiya.