The backlog of outstanding cases in the Family Courts reached 60,500 in May 2020, an 11 percent increase on the 54,600 cases before coronavirus. This number is set to jump further with social distancing measures slowing down court proceedings, UK law firm Wilsons has warned.

Divorces are not currently being prioritised in the Family Courts, with cases relating to the welfare of children and emergency protection orders taking precedence during lockdown. HM Courts and Tribunals Service has classed divorce cases under its lowest priority category during COVID-19. According to Wilsons, this is creating a bottleneck that will ultimate...