Children in court hearings to be given their own advocate

The Family Justice Strategy, which was published in November 2022, found the current system for hearing the voice of a child in private family law proceedings is 'inconsistent' with a wide variance in how often judges ask to hear what the child’s view on the situation is. File picture

Children whose parents are going through divorce proceedings or custody hearings will have their own independent advocate to make sure their voice is heard in court, under a new Government pilot project.

The Department of Justice will initially roll out the service in Waterford City District Court and Clonmel District Court, and apply it only to guardianship, custody, and access cases.