Section 7 reports: what Cafcass asks, how long it takes and how to prepare

What a section 7 report is

Section 7 of the Children Act 1989 lets a family court ask for a report on a child's welfare. The report can be written or given in person, and the judge can rely on anything relevant in it, even where the usual rules of evidence wouldn't allow it.

In most cases between parents, Cafcass writes it, and in Wales the same job falls to Cafcass Cymru. If the council's children's services already work with your family, the court is likely to ask the council instead, because its social worker will know the background.

The court usually decides at the first hearing whether a report is needed, and Cafcass's safeguarding letter for that hearing often says whether one would help. The order then sets out what the officer must look into and the date the report is due. For the wider process, read our guide to child arrangements law in the UK.

Section 7, section 37 or a safeguarding letter?

Cafcass and the council write several kinds of report, each with a different job, and parents often mix them up.

Child Focused Courts, formerly called Pathfinder courts, work differently. In March 2026 they ran in 10 of the 43 family court areas: all of Wales, Birmingham, Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Stoke, West Yorkshire, Wolverhampton and Worcester. Eight more areas in England are joining during 2026 and 2027. In these courts the officer usually speaks to your child early, so a separate section 7 report is needed less often.

What the Family Court Adviser does

Once the court orders a report, Cafcass allocates a Family Court Adviser, usually called an FCA. They decide what they need to find out, based on the safeguarding letter and the questions in the court order. According to Cafcass, your FCA will:

• write to your child to introduce themselves;
• usually talk to your child alone, perhaps at school or another neutral place;
• spend time with you and the other parent to hear your concerns;
• speak to others where it helps, such as relatives, teachers or health workers.

For a baby or young child, the FCA watches them with a parent or carer instead. They won't ask your child to choose between you or to decide the arrangements.

Before filing, the FCA should share their thinking and recommendations with you and your child. In the report itself, Cafcass policy requires them to keep verified facts, each parent's allegations and their own opinion clearly separate.

What the FCA is likely to ask you

The FCA has to apply the welfare checklist in section 1(3) of the Children Act 1989, so most questions follow it. Our guide to what judges look for in child arrangements cases explains each factor.

Expect questions about what the other parent has said about you, too. Rights of Women advises preparing for those, and answering factually even if you feel angry or upset.

How to prepare for your interview

Most parents get one or two conversations with the FCA, so prepare as for any important meeting: know what to say, and have the details to hand.

1. Read the order. It lists what the court asked the FCA to look into, so focus on those questions.
2. Know what you're asking for. Be able to say in two lines what arrangements you want, and why they suit your child.
3. Pick your dated examples. Choose two or three for each concern. A general complaint is easy to set aside, while a dated fact can be checked.
4. Show what works. Where it's safe, mention contact that went well and offers you've made. FCAs look for a parent who supports the child's other relationships.
5. Prepare your child without coaching them. Tell them someone may talk to them and that they can say how they feel. Don't tell them what to say, or ask afterwards what they said.
6. Say what help you need. If you're worried about meeting because of domestic abuse, tell Cafcass early so the meetings can be arranged safely.

How long a section 7 report takes

The court sets a filing date in its order, and that is the date to work from. Rights of Women says a report usually takes at least 12 weeks, and the court weighs that delay against the benefit of having one. Waiting times vary by area, so ask the court or Cafcass if you're unsure where things stand.

Under Cafcass policy, you should receive your copy on or before the filing date, with a letter explaining what to do if you're unhappy with it. The court can only keep the report from a parent by making an order, which happens only in the most serious cases.

What the report contains

Cafcass says the report explains what the FCA found and what they think should happen. It must say what the court asked Cafcass to do and what the FCA did to answer each question. It applies the welfare checklist and sets out your child's wishes and feelings.

Expect a recommendation on where your child lives and how much time they spend with each parent. It may also cover handovers, supervised or indirect contact, a parenting course or a further assessment. Read each section with the fact, allegation and opinion split in mind, because your response to each is different.

If you disagree with the report

Cafcass's own policy accepts that families won't always agree with the FCA, and what you do depends on what is wrong.

The judge isn't bound by the recommendation, but courts have repeatedly held that a judge who departs from it must explain why. Your response works best when it points to specific facts the FCA missed or got wrong. Our position statement guide shows how to set that out in 3 pages.

To: [FCA name], Cafcass [office]
Case number: [number]
Section 7 report dated [date], for the hearing on [date]

Dear [name],

Thank you for your report. I have found the following factual errors and ask that they are corrected before the hearing.

1. Paragraph [ ]: the report says [what it says]. The correct position is [the fact], as shown by [record, document or date].
2. Paragraph [ ]: the report says [what it says]. The correct position is [the fact], as shown by [record, document or date].

I understand that any disagreement with your analysis is a matter for the court, and I will raise it there.

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Date]

Who you can show the report to

A section 7 report is confidential under the Family Procedure Rules, though you can share it with your solicitor. Practice Direction 12G also lets you show it to a McKenzie friend, a lay adviser or an independent domestic violence adviser helping with the case. A health professional or counsellor supporting you or your child can see it too.

Don't post it online or pass it to friends and family, because publishing information from children proceedings can be contempt of court.

Section 7 reports and domestic abuse

Where domestic abuse is raised, Practice Direction 12J says the court should consider ordering a section 7 report. It can decide against one only if it is satisfied a report isn't needed to keep the child safe. If the court orders a fact-finding hearing, it usually waits until afterwards to ask for the report.

The judgment, or a list of the findings, then goes to Cafcass, so the FCA works from what the judge decided. The court also checks whether the report's scope needs to change. Our guide to fact-finding hearings explains that stage.

Why your record matters to the FCA

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Justice put the average section 7 report at about 25 hours of work. That covers both parents, your child and any professionals, so your share of the FCA's time is short. What ends up in the report is mostly what you can explain clearly in that time.

Months of handovers, missed calls and school days are hard to recall accurately in one interview, especially under pressure. A dated record lets you answer with specifics: how often contact happened as planned, what your child said after a handover, which appointments you attended.

1. Before the interview, filter your record to the months since the application and pick your examples.
2. In the interview, give dates and counts, and offer copies of anything the FCA wants to see.
3. After the report, check every factual point against your record, and write to the FCA quickly if something is wrong.

Casewell keeps that record on your phone. Log each handover, missed call, school message and incident as it happens, with the screenshots and photos behind it. Every entry shows when you recorded it, and later edits stay visible, so it's clear which notes you made on the day. When the FCA gets in touch, export the period as a clear PDF chronology and keep it in front of you.

Your record is yours alone and depends on no one else's cooperation. Start it now, and when the FCA asks what has been happening, you can answer with dates instead of impressions.